Words As A Weapon II
by Brooklynnx
Summary: After learning SpiderMan's biggest secret, Daily Bugle reporter Jillian Finch tries to better understand Peter Parker. But befriending SpiderMan brings trouble, danger, and hell into Jillian's life.
1. Preparation

_Disclaimer: I own Diamond. I don't own Spider-Man. Period. That's the only disclaimer you're getting outta me!_

Her apartment was...average.

It was contained the necessities; one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen and a living room/den. The bedroom was a good size, with a full bed, two dressers and a small closet. The bathroom tile was somewhat dirty, but after the renovations that would be taken care of. The kitchen's wallpaper was discolored from water damage, and the living room/den area had scratches on the hardwood floors. Despite its flaws, Jillian approved. It was warm and cozy, cluttered and crowded, but it was perfect for a single girl in New York City.

Her parents had purchased her new living space for her twenty-first birthday, the big shebang that would last a lifetime in her memory. She was now able to do anything she pleased, and the smell of freedom floated in her apartment.

Jillian loved the apartment's location, too, south of Times Square and only six or seven blocks from her job at the _Daily Bugle. _Here she worked as a reporter, getting information on any superhuman activities that she could possibly find. Her job was not easy, and it was stressful and it was hard. But she had decided to stop faking crime scenes and accidents to get the attention of superheroes. She had learned the hard way that finding members of the superhuman population unnaturally could lead to disaster. Jillian at one time pretended to be a superhero in order to meet with various superheroes and later write it out for the next edition of the newspaper. Doctor Octopus had found Jillian, in costume known as Diamond, blackmailed her and took her hostage. Later, Doctor Octopus and Venom exchanged Jillian for Spider-Man, who would most likely be dead if Jillian hadn't intervened. Ever since that day, Jillian and Spider-Man's relationship had been like no other. She knew who he was underneath the mask.

Jillian shook the memory from her mind as she finished unpacking the last of her boxes. Moving out of her parent's home was the next step to her new life, and she was greatly looking forward to it. She had procrastinated getting her apartment ready for too long, as her twenty-first birthday party was tonight. Her mother would come over in about ten minutes, bringing balloons and snacks, since Jillian had not been able to go to the store yet.

She was twenty-one. The age when a person was fully able to live their life.

Jillian's apartment was ready for the party when her parents and younger brother entered. The balloons they carried flew to the ceiling, decorating the empty space. Jillian's mother set up the food while her little brother set the radio to the hit-music channel. She played with his messy hair as she passed him to look at the clock.

A half hour until party time.

Jillian was extremely excited for her party, but more excited for the arrival of one her guests. Peter Parker. She had not seen him much ever since the incident with Octavius and Venom, and since he told her that he was secretly Spider-Man. She had become a false superhero named Diamond who got information from superheroes that Jillian would later publish. But Diamond was used by Ocatvius, and she was later kidnapped only to be exchanged for Spider-Man. Jillian later saved Spider-Man and had not heard much from him since. She wanted to talk with him--see who he really was underneath his hidden identity, get to know him.

Jillian remembered when she found out. Her career could have skyrocketed with that information. Jillian Finch could have been the one to unmask Spider-Man. She would be rich, famous--but she kept the knowledge to herself. She still wrote about Spider-Man in the _Daily Bugle. _She had kept the biggest secret she had ever been told. She replayed the fateful conversation over in her head:

_"I wanted you to know. I trust you."_

_"I'm a reporter, Peter. Not a hero."_

_"Ever think that you can be both?"_

_"Easy for you to say! You are both!...I will never betray the trust between us, Peter! Never! Don't even think about it! Your secret is safe with me."_

_"I know it is."_

Jillian smiled as she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. Her smile showed she was happy, but her eyes were weak and lonesome.

"My little girl is growing up!"

"Oh Ma. Don't say that. It's mandatory to grow old, but optional to grow up."

Her mother gave a chuckle as she set up some alcohol for the older party-goers. Jillian sighed as she moved towards a window. Her stared at the concrete canyons of New York City. She pictured Spider-Man swinging by, posing dramatically or spiraling on his webline. Jillian blinked out of her most familiar daydream and continued to prepare for the party.

By the time the doorbell rang and the first guest entered, Jillian was more than ready to start dancing.


	2. After The Party

Jillian greeted each guest as they entered, taking gifts and placing them on a designated table that served that purpose. She danced a little, drank a little, ate a little and talked a little. But the thing she focused on doing the most was finding Peter Parker.

She knew he would come; he had to. It was one of those things that he had to do, after saving her life, after she saved his life, and after he told her he was Spider-Man. She stared at the door and at the various party goers, but she could not find him. She saw Miriam Birchwood, the columnist at the _Bugle_. She also saw Billy Walker, who was a freelance reporter there as well. Betty Brant was speaking with her boyfriend Flash Thompson, who she introduced only to an extent, and even Jillian's boss, J. Jonah Jameson, was holding a beer and talking with Robbie, who was Jameson's right hand man.

That was when there was a knock at the door.

Jillian ran through a throng of people, shouting "I got it!" as she made her way to the door. She grabbed the doorknob and took a deep breath, opened it slowly and smiled. "Hi, Peter."

Peter Parker stood, wearing a nice polo shirt with a pair of black slacks. In his hand he held only a card inside a yellow envelope. Jillian smiled as she took it, and decided that she wanted to open it right then are there. Peter stepped inside and shut the door to her apartment as she took out the card.

"Happy 21st Birthday," Jillian read aloud. She opened the card and found a small piece of paper inside. She smiled as she read it. "I.O.U." she sighed.

Peter cleared his throat. "I'll fill you in later, when it's not so crowded in here."

"Sure. Hey, Peter, look--we really haven't gotten to talk since...well, y'know."

"Yeah," he said. "I know." He patted her shoulder and left her alone with her I.O.U. Coupon, reaching for a beer.

Jillian sighed. It wasn't exaclty how she had expected the conversation to go, but at least he knew what she was talking about. After all, how could they speak considerably with so many people in ear? Jillian sighed again, telling herself to be content, and went to enjoy her party.

"Finch!" Someone called. Jillian spun around to see who called her name. It was her boss. Wonderful.

"Finch! Did you finish that report I wanted, about Captain America?"

Jillian sighed. "Yes, Mr. Jameson." Jillian had flinched at the name. The death of Captain America had been so sudden and so recent that the actual fact that he was gone hadn't really sunken it yet. Jillian remebered exactly where she was when she heard the news--the cityroom at the_ Daily Bugle_ had gone absolutely mad. She remembered looking around the office to find that Peter wasn't there. She wondered how he was dealing with the death of a man who Peter respected and admired so much.

"I think it's hardly the time to discuss work, Jonah!" Robbie butted in. "Our Jillian's 21! We should be celebrating, not worrying about the next deadline! Why don't you get yourself some crackers, Jonah?"

Jillian winked and smiled, sending a silent message of appreciation to Robbie. He had always been the one to come just in the knick of time.

As the clock continued to tick, more and more guests started to leave. She said goodbye to Jameson, Betty, and even that Flash guy who had tagged along, but she realized that Peter had left without a word. Confused at this, she started to clean up with her parents, who had gladly stayed later to help straighten her new apartment.

But once they left, Jillian was completey alone. She stared at the I.O.U. Coupon which she held in her hands. "I owe you a kick in the balls." she moaned, placing the piece of paper in her pocket. It was getting late, and Jillian was tired from the party that she had expected to be a lot more fun than it had been. As Jillian put her earring on her dresser, she looked around and opened the bottom draw. She lifted a pile of clothes to find a long envelope. She figited with the seal to pull out her mask. The mask that transformed Jillian into Diamond.

She had always had it--it made her feel safer, stronger. Jillian often looked at it and always wished that it was more than just a mask. It gave her a sense of security, and she always had it ready to be admired again for reminiscing. Jillian put the mask back after a long sigh and a trip down memory lane. She slipped into her pajama pants and matching top, wearing big, floppy bunny slippers and she decided that she wouldn't host another party for a while. All Jillian wanted to do now was sleep, after she brushed her teeth.

The thing Jillian loved about her bathroom was its skylight--if she tilted her head right, she could clearly see the Empire State Building. As she brushed her teeth she felt a soft breeze, and she turned around. She dropped her toothbrush and screamed.

"Sshh! Do you want everyone to hear you?"

Spider-Man was hanging upside-down on a webline and had come straight through the skylight. Jillian spit in the sink and wiped her mouth clean.

"Are you nuts? What if I was in the shower, or going to the bathroom!"

Spider-Man seemed to be debating his possible answers.

"Oh, nevermind! What are you doing here? Why didn't you just say whatever you're gonna say at the party. And why didn't you say anything at the party?" Jillian felt an angry rant coming on, but relaxed and contained herself.

"Doya have the I.O.U. Coupon I gave ya?"

"It's in my pant's pocket. Why?"

"Here's your present!"

She analyzed him, from top to bottom.

"What's my present?"

He sighed, picked her up, and jumped out of the open skylight and onto the roof of the apartment building.

"Why couldn't you have just given me a giftcard to Target, like normal people?"

"Jillian, since when am I normal? Now, hold on tight, okay?"

Jillain grabbed Spider-Man around the neck, and suddenly remembered the sensation of swining on his back that had once been so familair to her. She smiled, like she was her old, younger self when she first had this experience, and she screamed out with happiness. She hadn't had a ride from Spider-Man in the longest time--she appreciated this gift more than he could ever know.

Too bad Spider-Man had picked the night that all hell would brake loose.


	3. The Attack

Spider-Man had decided to give his arms a break from pulling on the weblines, as they sat on top of the Empire State Building. It hadn't been far to swing to, and the view had been one of the best gifts Jillian could ever dream of.

"It's so amazing, Spidey. I mean--the city is literally below me. I can see it all..."

He smiled under his mask, feeling satisfied with himself. "Happy birthday, Jillian."

She turned to him and smiled, her face showing all the gratitude that words could not express. She had always been a fan of sight seeing--but this was just remarkable. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime things. She was actually on top of the Empire State Building, one of the most amazing buildings in the entire world.

"So..." Spider-Man said, trying to break an awkward silence, "how's Jameson treating you?"

Jillian snapped her head back towards Spider-Man, as she had been awed by the mixture of lights and sounds. "As one can only expect. He's loosened my leash, though. I'm not finding myself stuck on any stories about superheroes."

"Well, you always have me."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Webs. I mean that."

He sighed and allowed her to enjoy the experience once more. She closed her eyes, felt the breeze from the harbor coming in from the Brooklyn Bridge, and let everything sink in. One: she was friends with Spider-Man. Two: Spider-Man had taken her onto the tallest building in New York. Three: she was _on _the tallest building in New York.

Jillian took her hair from its messs bun, letting the wind blow it as it pleased. She smiled and gave Spider-Man a hug around the shoulders, retracting soon, as she was afraid to lose her balance. As she sat there, staring at him, he suddenly flinced and scanned the surrounding buildings. He grabbed her arm and jumped, spinning a webline and dodging what looked like a small pumpkin as it soared all too near their airspace. The pumpkin then exploded where they had just been, engulfing the wall in a flame. Jillian was so shocked about the situation that she forgot to scream.

Spider-Man set Jillian down on the ground, where the citizens were screaming and running for cover. She blinked several times, so dumbfounded and scared. "What the hell...?"

"Hello, Spider-Man! Long time no see!" Interjected a high-pitched voice. The owner stood on a green glider, laughing an annoying cackle.

The Green Goblin.

Spider-Man stood, silent, in front of Jillian. His clenched fists shook with rage. He was tense, standing in a ready position with his eyes fixed on the madman. He tossed a pumpkin bomb up-and-down, up-and-down, catching it playfully.

"Jillian," Spider-Man whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "run."

Jillian nodded and, out of the corner of her eye, saw an alleyway about five feet behind her. As she took a deep breath she darted for the dark sanctuary, leaping behind a dumpster that provided her with a hiding place. She peered through a small opening between the dumpster and the wall, watching the events unfold.

As the two foes stood, a fog mysteriously appeared, rising from their ankles to their knees. The Green Goblin looked confused, and obviously had no knowing of this. He watched as the smoke became the dramatic entrance of the one and only Mysterio.

With Mysterio, came the rest.

The Vulture, Electro and the Chameleon followed in the fog.

Then the other two. Here, Jillian gasped.

Venom and Doctor Octopus, the two who had nearly killed Spider-Man and herself that fateful night not too long ago, had found their own entryway from above. Jillian cringed with fear. They had said that they'd be back.

"What is this? No! No! This is my night, do you hear? Mine!" The Goblin shouted at Doctor Octopus. The Doctor nearly grinned at the sight of the crazed man's little fit.

"I do apologize, Goblin, but we saw an open opprotunity."

"It's not as if we would have gotten an invitation." The Vulture snapped.

Spider-Man hadn't moved. Where would he go?

Jillian, crouching behind the dumpster, pieced it together. The Sinister Six had come on their own--that's why the Goblin was so angry. But why would Venom and Doc Ock work with them--they hand't before, and it wasn't as if they liked teamwork. Jillian frantically felt around her body, upset when she did not feel the familiar bump in her pocket that was supposed to be her cell phone. Darn it! Now she couldn't call for help! The one time she didn't have it one her...

"We told you we would return, you insilent bug!" Doctor Octopus hissed.

Venom gave a wide grin. "We're Baaaa-aaaaaccck!"

"And, we brought some...'friends'..." Doctor Octavius said, introducing the various members that also made up the Sinister Six. There stood Mysterio, Electro, the Vulture, and the Chameleon with an AK-47.

Spider-Man gulped. It was going to be a _long _night.


	4. Recognition

In order to get a good story for her job at the _Daily Bugle_, in the past Jillian had done some things she was not too proud of. She faked crimes. She tricked superheroes. She lied to people who trusted her. But, in the midst of all this, she had discovered a hidden bravery that appeared when she stood up to Venom and Doctor Octopus in order to save Spider-Man's life.

This courage, which she needed now more than ever, had decided not to surface. Instead she hid, which was the smart thing to do, and waited to see what would happen. She wanted to help Spider-Man, she wanted to do something. But she knew that risking her life when she knew there was nothing an average person like her could do was completely stupid.

Spider-Man still hadn't moved. "Well, isn't this just a lovely little reuinon? Anyone have a camera?"

Electro laughed. Jillian had done a lot of research on most of Spider-Man's enemies, which was needed for her line of work, and she knew that he was crazy, but know was just completely insane after his last power-up. His electric-based powers had made him one of Spider-Man's most powerful foes, and he could--and would--blow up an entire block just to prove a point. If he wasn't so simple-minded, he could be even more dangerous than he already was--which would be pretty damn dangerous. His starfish mask and green costume with yellow lightning bolts that matched the mask didn't come off as very formidable...but one good look at him and you knew who you were dealing with.

Next Jillian spied Mysterio. He was a rejected actor with a vendetta against moslty everyone in New York and California. He had so many special effects and gadgets that he could make more selling them on Ebay than robbing banks. But the crimelife had always been his forte. His costume--a helmet that resembled a gold fish bowl with a green suit and a purple cape--was also very recognizable.

The Vulture was the eldest member--probably the oldest in the superhuman business. As if his bald head and crooked nose wasn't enough, his green flightsuit with razor-talons at the tips of the wings made him look ridiculious and also very terrifying at the same time. He merley sneered, the same angry, lonesome snarl as always.

The Chameleon had never been a great fighter--which explained the gun. His strength was most likely above average of that of an ordinary person, but the problem with this guy was catching him. Once he threw on a mask he was nearly impossible to find in a large crowd, giving him an advantage he took to the fullest.

Then she stared at the infamous Venom. His symbiote suit gave him abilites similar to Spider-Man's, yet he seemed so much stronger and faster. His long, slobbering tounge had become somewhat of his trademark, along with his obsession with spleens.

Then came Doctor Otto Octavius, better know as Doc Ock. He was one of the world's most brilliant minds and most deadliest men, sometimes taking his threats and plots to a global scale. Spider-Man considered him to be worse than the other five put together, with his six arms that were stronger than any type of metal fused to his body. Without these arms, though, Doctor Octopus was not known for his own human strength.

Jillian then analyzed the Green Goblin, who was now ranting about how everything was ruined and how he hated the Sinister Six and that no, he would not join them. The Green Goblin was crazy, no one ever argued about that. His pumpkin bombs were well-known, as was his glider. After he murdered a young woman named Gwen Stacy Spider-Man had hated him a little more than most of this archenemies--Jillian just had a feeling.

So here they were. The Sinister Six and the Green Goblin. Question was, now what?

This was answered quickly, as Spider-Man leaped backwards as he sent a wad of webbing in the Chameleon's direction in mid-air. Not only was the Chameleon now stuck in a sticky mess, but so was his weapon. Suddenly all grudes against the Six was lost, and the Goblin swarmed with the others overheard.

Jillian jumped to the side as Spider-Man came crashing into the dumpster she had been hiding behind. He rolled onto his stomach and looked in Jillian's direction.

"What are you still doing here? Go!"

Jillian wanted to, Jillian wanted to run as fast as she could. But the stronger part of her knew that she didn't want to abandon him--even if she knew there was nothing she could do.

She watched as Spider-Man jumped back into the brawl, and she found herself not worried for him, but for the man underneath. For Peter. She pictured him in this fight, she pictured him taking the punches. Jillian contained the urge to jump into the fight herself, as her anger and her fustration of being so useless boiled inside of her.

As Spider-Man crashed down in her alley a second time, she saw a metal arm grab at his throat. Doctor Octopus came into her view, and as he missed Spider-Man, who rolled away to safety, he spied Jillian lying on the floor.

"Why--hello, Miss Finch."


	5. The Attempt

Jillian didn't move. Her body tensed as Doctor Octopus stared down the alleyway right into her petrified eyes. He threw Spider-Man aside and started to walk towards her. Jillian stood, glaring at him with an undefined hatred. She did not run, because she knew that it would just make matters worse. Especially when this was personal.

"Ah, you look much older, Miss Finch. Still have that Diamond mask of yours?"

"What do you want, Octavius?" Jillian asked with a harsh tone in her voice.

"Nothing of you, don't worry yourself. It's a shame you had to see our little fight. Did it upset you? Did the sight of your little hero being thrown like a rag doll make you cringe?"

Jillain said nothing. She simply stared at him. Part of her was screaming to jump on him, to attack and to help Spider-Man, who was now throwing punches at Mysterio's idiotic goldfish-bowl helmet. But the realistic part told her that it was impossible. What she had done before, when she stood up to Octavius and Venom, was completely stupid and dangerous. She was not that young, naive girl who could stand up to seven of the world's most malicious men. She knew what she was up against.

"Why don't you go write your little story and leave us to our business?" He said with an evil grin, starting to turn away to join the fight once again. As she watched him walk down the alleyway, the sensible side of her lost all control, and she snapped.

Jillian ran, jumped up and grabbed a metalic arm, and landed on the man's back. Before Octavius could regain control of the arm Jillian started slamming it against his head, hitting him as hard as she could. The arm flinced, flicked her off and threw her against a wall. Jillian did a summersault to roll out of the way of the arm, which would have grabbed her and most likely thrown her someplace else. Jillian stood and realized she was completely a lost hope, and she started to run.

_Am I stupid? I could've gotten myself killed! _Jillian cursed herself as she ran, knowing that a man like Otto Octavius could not have his dignity stained by a young girl. He would most likely chase after her. Jillian wasn't sure if he was following her, but she didn't want to take any chances.

She looked behind her to see Spider-Man leaping from shots of electricity that could fry him instantly. Jillian couldn't help but stop and stare, wanting to run back and do something--anything.

This was when Doctor Octopus decided to strike.

A metal arm grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up into the air, looking at her from behind his stupid, famous sunglasses. She didn't fight it, for she knew from past experiences that no amount of hitting and screaming and twitching could free her of the arm's grasp.

"That," he breathed, "was very stupid."

"Tell me about it." Jillian mumbled under her breath, unsure if the doctor had heard her or not.

"Why on earth would you do that when I gave you the option to run and live your life?"

Jillian didn't answer, because she knew there was no logical one_. I just wanted to kick your ass_, she thought_. I wanted to do something to help Spider-Man_, she thought_. Because I hate you_, she thought. But she took a deep breath and finally said, "I dunno."

He laughed. "You _dunno?_ You attack one of the world's most dangerous men, and you _dunno _why?"

"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you! Now put me down!"

He laughed again, this time reminiscing. "I remember that side of you, Miss Finch! Back at the construction site, when you told Venom and me that we couldn't touch Spider-Man. Well, the tables have turned, Jillian. And I won't be taking orders from you anylonger! That was only because the Wall-Crawler was weak and an easy kill. Now--now he looks just fine, doesn't he? What was he doing with you, canoodling?"

This was when Jillian kicked out her leg, hitting Octavius in the most sensitive area. He moaned in pain and bent over, extending the arm containing Jillian march farther away from his body. As he recovered from the blow, Spider-Man jumped right behind Octavius, the other villains still in pursuit. Spider-Man leaped from behind Octavius just in time to dodge an attack from Venom, which instead now hit Octavius. The Octopus, and Jillian, went flying.

Jillian landed hard on the other metal arms, knocking her head about and hurting her arm. Spider-Man came running over to pry her free of the arm.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

After a long while of staring at each other, Spider-Man grabbed Jillian and jumped high into the air, swinging her to saftey.

"What the hell was going through your mind, Jillian?" Spider-Man yelled as they fled from the advancing enemies. "You could have been killed! You attacked Doc Ock! Are you insane? You don't have the superpowers here, Finch! You should've ran away, far away!"

"But what if--"

"It would'nt have ended up like last time. I can handle myself, I don't need your help. What you did last time was great, and yeah, you did save my life, but I know what I'm doing."

Jillian decided not to say a word the rest of the trip. She tried to enjoy the sensation of swining with Spider-Man, but it just wasn't possible at the moment.

He dropped her off three blocks from her apartment, explaining that it was too dangerous to drop her home incase the others were watching. "I'll see you at work tomorrow." Spider-Man simply said, and he started to head back to fight the Sinister Six and the Green Goblin.

Jillian walked home cold, as she was still only in her pajamas. She found her apartment closer than she thought, and she headed right for her bedroom, though she knew there was no way in hell she would fall asleep that night.


	6. The Early Bird

Jillian arrived bright and early at the offices of the _Daily Bugle_, so early in fact that she had time to sneak a cup of coffee from Jameson's private machine. She had started typing by the time Jameson walked in the door. He didn't even see her at her desk until she yawned loud and long; normal, for a person who has been up all night. Jameson took a second glance and threw himself in her direction.

"Finch! What the hell are you doing here so early?"

She looked up and smiled, the bags under her eyes clearly stating the obvious. "Just couldn't sleep, boss."

"So you show up to work two hours early? What are you working on?"

"Last night's events, sir. I'm sure you heard about the Sinsiter Six and the Green Goblin."

He nearly fell over. "How do you know?"

She sighed, reluctantly telling him. "I was there, sir."

A smile appeared on Jameson's face. It was an odd expression for him to wear, as he was normally grumbling or screaming about how they were the last to report on a story or how the deadline was minutes away. He pointed a finger at her. "I knew you were the right person for the job, I knew it! Your section sells hundreds of copies alone!" This being a reference to Jillian's own section, The Superhero Scoop. This had been Jillian's main reason of stress and near-death experiences--the section required information about superhumans that normal reporters could not obtain. So, she had to...improvise.

Jillian's story was finished and spell-checked as the last of the paper's staff filed into the office. Jameson had already started screaming, reminding all the staff members just how lucky they were to be assigned a desk on the same floor as the editor. Most had learned to tune him out or simply ignore him. Many seemed oblivious to it, as if it were as normal of a sound as the air conditioning.

Jillian walked up to Jameson's office, saying a quick hello to the secretary Betty Brant, and placed her story on Jameson's desk as she fled from the room where her boss was ranting. As she closed the office door, she spied Peter Parker walking into the room. She ran over to him.

"Peter! Oh, thank God! You're okay!"

"Jillian! Shh!" He said, his face pale and watchful of the other staff memebers in the room.

"Well, excuse me! It's not my fault I was worried after we were attacked by seven crazy people!" She said in a hushed voice.

Peter chuckeld loudly, trying to cover up what the conversation was really about. "Of course I got pictures, what kind of photographer do you think I am?" He said as loud as possible without it seeming out of the norm.

Jillian hugged him. "I'm glad you're okay. Tell me what happened."

Peter looked around, then at Jillian's face, which showed the eagerness and the worry. Peter sighed, his camera dangling from his neck on its black strap, and pushed her into a far corner of the room.

"The Six are still out there, but I took care of Gobby. Unless he has another glider ready, along with a ten-pack of pumpkin bombs. I know Chameleon escaped--I forgot my webbing only lasts an hour--and I broke Mysterio's stupid bowl-head, and I know I punched Electro real good in the jaw."

Jillian smiled. She was talking to Spider-Man. She found herself laughing at the thought. It was odd, how she knew so much about him, yet so little at the same time. She didn't even pay attention to the rest of Peter's story.

"Look," he said, "I really gotta get these photos to JJ." He said, motioning at a portfoilio he held in his hand. Jillian hadn't even noticed it before. She nodded. As he walked down the hall, he spun around and asked, "Hey, Jillian, are you free later today? I wanna finish your birthday present."

Jillian smiled. "I'm actually going to my little brother's school. It's career day, and our parents couldn't make it. I guess I'm Plan B."

He smiled. "Another time, then."

"You bet." Jillian said.

Her little brother was actually in high school--a little old to be having career day. But it was part of his graduation project to type an essay about a possible job he'd have in the future, and then to bring in a parent to talk about theirs. He had to present it and it was actually a whole big ordeal. Jillian looked at the clock hanging sloppily on the wall. She had a half-hour cab trip there, so she figured she had to leave in about two hours. She smiled. Then she still had time to talk to Peter.


	7. Inside The School

P.S. 1111 was not a close walk from the _Bugle._ It was in Jillian's old neighborhood, and the trip there gave her a well-needed and most appreciated walk down memory lane. She saw her old home that her parents planned to sell as soon as her little brother graduated. She saw an old deli she and her friends would walk to on their way home from school. She saw the first place that Spider-Man had saved her life.

In her hand she fumbled with the latest edition of the _Daily Bugle_. She had brought it as a prop--something to pass around to the kids.

The cab stopped short a block from the school, where Jillian had paid and started to walk.

Her old high school. There were so many memories, so much in the hallways. She grabbed a visitors pass and headed down to room 303. She peered into the door before she opened it--there was her brother, sitting in the third seat in the left-most row. She opened the door and shook hands with the teacher who she recognized as Mrs. Blunt. Jillian had also had her as a teacher, and Mrs. Blunt clearly remembered.

After a short introduction by her little brother, Jillian cleared her throat and the spotlight was on her.

"Well, good morning! I'm Jillian Finch, and I'm a reporter at the _Daily Bugle_. How many of you read the paper?"

More than half the class raised their hands weakly in the air.

"How many of you read the _Daily Bugle?" _

Less than half the class.

"I didn't think so. Right, well, I write the section best known as 'The Superhero Scoop', where I write about superheroes and sometimes even supervillians. My job is very hard because I need to get information about superhumans that normal reporters can't get, so I have to go the extra mile. I've met many superhumans, such as Captain America, Iron Man, The Human Torch, Doctor Octopus, Venom, and, of course, Spider-Man."

Jillian showed the page containing her section in the paper and handed it to the kid sitting closest to her.

"My job's dangerous, because I've dealt with supervillains who would have no problem killing me. I was held hostage by Doctor Octopus and Venom, for example."

"Wow! Really?" Some kid in the back screamed out.

"Really. And it was very scary. I did not expect that I'd be the type of reporter that I've wound up to be."

"You met Captain America?" a girl in the second row asked.

"Yes. I was very sad when I heard that he died. He was an amazing person."

"What's Spider-Man like?" another girl asked.

"Spider-Man?" Jillian smiled. "Spider-Man is amazing. He's really funny, of course. He's a little defensive at times--he didn't like it when I tricked him to get good information for my article. He's very responsible, and he knows what he's doing. Spider-Man and I have worked toget--"

She was interuppted by the fire alarm. The students in the class stood and moaned, tired and a little pissed off that they had to go down all those stairs for another stupid drill. Jillian peeked her head out, and instantly it was consumed in smoke. She choked and coughed and her eyes teared as she knelt down, trying to catch her breath. This was followed by screams and shouts that the school was on fire.


	8. The Plot

Jillian frantically spun around and spied her little brother, in a mob of children heading for the door. The teacher, now shouting and yelling, had lost all control over her students.

Jillian reached through the throng of kids and picked out her brother's hand. She yanked him towards her and lead him out the classroom door and down the hall to the left, where the smoke had yet to consume the air. She could see the flames spreading, but where had they come from? Jillian wasn't about to turn around and investigate, she knew she had to get to the lower levels of the school.

Jillian found the staircase from which she had come up, but found people scrambling around it instead of exiting. Jillian's stomach churned. Something was wrong.

"What's going on?" Jillian said loudly, over the shouts of others. She stared at the stairwell, covered with burning debris.

"All the exits are blocked off! We're trapped!" A security guard said, his walkie-talkie in his hand. "Everyone is still inside this building! There is no way out! Every single exit is blocked off!"

Jillian started to sweat. How many people were in this school? Her hands shaking, Jillian grabbed her cell phone and hit speed dial number one.

"Hello?"

"Peter? Oh, thank God! Peter! I'm at P.S. 1111--it's on fire! Every single person is trapped inside! We have no idea what's going on!"

"What? Jesus! Hold on, Jillian! I'm coming!"

This comforting news did not stop Jillian's heart from beating faster and faster. She grabbed her little brother. "There's got to be a way. Come on, we can't just stand here."

He followed her into a classroom at the far end of the hall. Jillian knew that what she was about to do was extremely dangerous, but she saw no other option. She instructed her brother to pick up a desk, as she did, and together they threw them into the windows. Worst comes to worse, they would brake a few bones, but not be burned to death. Jillian ran out and told the other teachers. They said some were already doing it.

Then Jillian spied an elevator door. Not wasting anymore time, she grabbed another desk from the classroom across the hall and wailed it into the doors. The doors bent and broke, and Jillian started to think that this could actually work. She didn't need to risk jumping out of a window after all! Jillian told her little brother to try and pry one side of the doors open while she did the other. Soon other adults were helping, as they strained every muscle in their body to slide the doors open. When about a dozen people were pulling at the doors, the right side one slid about three feet.

Jillian told her brother to come, and they looked down into the shaft. It was dark and reeked of oil and gave off this supernatural feeling. She looked her brother in the eye, as the smell of smoke became thicker.

"I want you to jump into the shaft and try and grab one of those cables."

"What?"

She nodded. "I'll go first, and I'm gonna help you, okay?" Jillian slid through the small opening of the doors, squeezing her midsection in tight so that she would fit, and jumped out into the darkness. Her hands were out, and she grabbed one of the cables supporting the elevator. She held on tightly, wrapping her legs around it.

Her brother stood, gulped, and did the same. He caught the cable too early, as his body jerked from the interrupted fall. But he was okay. Soon others started to do this, and everyone started to climb down the cables and into the shaft. Jillian felt her hands burn, and she kept calling out to her brother to make sure he was okay. They continued to slide down the cables, the smell of smoke gaging them.

The elevator was resting on the second floor doors, and Jillian jumped down onto the top. Being the first one down, she found the emergency escape opening and climbed inside. Three other men followed. Jillian tried to push the button that would open the doors, and they shifted position only slightly. "We need to break them again!"

"Start kicking at them!"

Jillian, who was not one for her strength, allowed other men inside as she waited on the top of the elevator. From here they would need to run to the second floor--maybe then jump out of a window, where the risk of breaking something was a lot less than the third floor. Then Jillian smelt the smoke--stronger now, and she looked up. It was pouring into the shaft from above.

"We got it! Come on!" Someone screamed from inside the shaft. Jillian followed her brother out of the busted elevator doors and into the second floor hallway. Things here was not an improvement. The stairwells were also blocked off by debris, and the people here were still screaming. Jillian felt her brother's hand tremble in her own, and she knew they had to get out of there.

"I just got word!" the same security guard said, running over to the group where Jillian was standing. He pointed to his walkie-talkie and beamed: "Spider-Man's here!"

Jillian smiled. She knew she could count on him.

"He's ripping through the stairwells! We're saved!"

This is when the far wall exploded.

Everyone screamed and ducked, some running for cover in neighboring classrooms. Jillian looked up once debris stopped flying and saw the outline of a man with his hands on his hips. Then she heard a cackle, and she knew exactly who this was.

The Green Goblin hovered near the hole in the wall he had just created, standing on his glider with a nasty expression on his face. Jillian and some others stood. The Goblin looked over at her and smiled. "You're Jillian Finch, I presume?"

Jillian didn't say a word. She simply stood in front of her brother, trying to protect him without the Goblin noticing.

The crazed green man gave another one of his cackling laughs. He looked at her with a certainty in his eyes. "You didn't think I knew the connection, did you?"

Jillian knew exactly what he was talking about. He knew that she was friends with Spider-Man. Wait...did he plan this entire thing just to show her that? Jillian felt a heat wave of anger flow through her.

"You maniac! There are kids here! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Suddenly, the Green Goblin was knocked off his glider by a red-and-blue flash that had come from outside. The Goblin rolled, grabbing a pumpkin bomb to have ready. Everyone turned their heads to the man now standing on the Green Goblin's glider. Spider-Man.

"Jeez, Gobby! Didn't I just destroy one of these things? Where the hell do you buy them, Ebay?" Then he turned to Jillian, who was now standing with her little brother. "There's a safety net set up. Jump!" He said, motioning towards the wall that the Green Goblin had exploded. They believed it, and leaped out into the air, where a net made of purely webbing caught them. Jillian smiled. They were safe.

She saw then that people were rushing through the front doors, and that Spider-Man must have opened all the exits before taking on the Goblin. But Jillian felt uneasy. The Green Goblin knew, so what about the others? Would they keep tracking her down? Would they keep trying to kill not only her, but anyone near her? She looked at her little brother. "I'm taking you home," she said, "then we're gonna have a talk with Mom and Dad."


	9. Being Honest

Jillian's parents had been watching the news when they walked in the door. Jillian's mother screamed with joy as she embraced her two children. Her father, who had just been getting his car keys to drive to school, threw them aside and joined in on the hug. Jillian slipped away and watched the television.

Spider-Man was still fighting the Green Goblin. A pumpkin bomb flew out a window, and a small explosion took place on the street, though it was cleared off by police by now. She watched as a helicopter camera got the footage: Spider-Man kicking Goblin in the face, Goblin stabbing Spider-Man with a pencil, Spider-Man dodging a punch and rebounded with his own.

"God! I am so glad you're both okay! The one day both my children are in that school!"

Jillian gulped and turned around. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Ma."

"What?"

Jillian moved closer to her family, still holding one another. She took a deep breath and figured that she better just come out with it. "I think it's a good idea if you go stay with some friends on Long Island or something. It's not gonna be safe here until the Green Goblin and the Sinister Six are stopped."

"What are you talking about?"

Jillian knew she couldn't stop now. "I think the Green Goblin attacked the school because he knew I was going to be there."

Their faces were confused and disbelieving. "What?" Her dad asked.

Jillian sighed. "They know that I'm close with Spider-Man. The Green Goblin pointed me out specificily when he entered the school. He told me that he knew the connection between Spidey and me. And if he knew I was going there, he must be watching and he must know about you guys. I just want you all to be safe."

Jillian's Mom nodded, her Dad still speechless. The silence that followed lasted only until a familiar face was at the window.

Spider-Man opened up the window in the den and climbed through. Jillian's father stumbled back, her mother's mouth dropping.. "My thoughts exactly. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Finch." Spider-Man said as he walked closer.

Her parents didn't speak.

"Hey, Jillian. Are you okay? I heard about your elevator idea. You saved a lot of people--the third floor was almost completely burned down.We're lucky the entire building didn't cave in."

Jillian nodded, blushing. Her parents weren't used to seeing their daughter speaking with a superhero so freely, and she almost wished Spider-Man was not so open around her, to make it easier for them. It was too late now--they knew she was telling the truth. She turned to them, and before she could speak Spider-Man came out with: "Two members of the Sinister Six are familiar with Jillian, as they kidnapped her a few years ago. I'm sure she told you about that story. Well, the Green Goblin may or may not be working with them--I'm not sure yet, but if three of them know about Jillian, then it wouldn't surprise me if they told everyone."

"Ma, Dad, relax. I'll be fine," Jillian said, seeing her parent's faces. "But you guys need to get out of here."

"Yeah. That would be the best thing you guys could do right now, until the situation gets under control."

They nodded. Jillian hugged each one of them and asked them to call her when they reach a safe place to live.

Spider-Man offered her a ride home, which she accepted. She wrapped her arms around Spider-Man's neck as she pushed against his back. She could feel his heartbeat as he took off on the ground, spun a webline, and shot into the air like he was coming from inside the barrel of a gun. The breeze blew Jillian's loose hair, her eyes fixed on the city below her.

As they left Jillian's childhood streets, the carefree face she wore around her parents faded into a worn and petrified expression. "Spider-Man, what am I supposed to do?" She said as they started swinging towards her apartment. Spider-Man didn't reply until he landed on the roof. Jillian didn't take her eyes from his mask.

"Do you think I handled that right? They've had so much to deal with--especially since last time. How do you think they took the whole Venom and Ock situation last time?"

"You did the right thing by telling them, Jillian. Here--take this. I prepared it before I came." He handed her a beautiful necklace. It had a silver chain with a beautiful red gem as a charm, which was protected by a matching silver holster.

"This is a spider-tracer," he said, pointing to the red gem. "It lets me know where you are at all times. It's got a boosted signal, so I can track your movements at a farther distance than my normal tracers. If you press the big button in the middle, it'll call me..Use this_ only_ in emergencies, like what happened today. Otherwise, call my cell."

Jillian hugged him. "Thank you so much, Spidey. I can't tell you how much better I feel."

Spider-Man placed a hand on her shoulders. "Watch your surroundings at all times. Don't go anywhere alone. Keep that spider-tracer with you at all times."

She nodded and watched him jump out into the city. She suddenly got the chills and ran inside from a roof-access staircase. She did not like being alone.

Jillian jumped onto her computer as soon as she entered her apartment and started typing the day's activities for the _Bulge_. She made sure to leave out the connection between her, Goblin and Spider-Man, but otherwise it was one-hundred percent truthful. She simply stated that he was crazy, and that the Green Goblin's motivation was not known. But Jillian knew his motivation, all right. His motivation was her.


	10. Flame On

The necklace Spider-Man had given her the night before hung down on her chest as Jillian entered the _Daily Bugle._ She found her desk exactly as she had left it, fetched a cup of the _Bugle_'s notoriously bad coffee, and went through the folder she had brought with her to work. She passed some papers until she found the report she wrote last night about the incident at P.S.1111. After taking an extra-long gulp of the coffee she placed the mug on her desk and motioned at Betty Brant if she could enter his office.

"Go ahead. He's in a good mood today." the secretary said. These were not encouraging words. They never were. Jameson was Jameson.

Jillian knocked and opened the door in one motion, the file tucked away under her right arm.

"Finch! What are you doing in here? Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

"You're on speaker, sir. How would I know?"

"Nevermind! I'll call you back later, Walker! Right, so, Jillian. If there's nothing in that folder of yours I'd high-tail it outta here!"

Jillian placed the paper on his desk and backed away, allowing him to skim through it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who gave you the details?"

"I was at the scene, sir." Jillian replied.

Jameson shot up. "_What? _You were _there? Again? Jesus_, Finch! If I didn't know better I'd say you were working with these maniacs and knew exactly what they were doing. Or you're psychic.. That seems more logical..."

Jillian winced, as that had been the pretend superpower she had given herself as Diamond. It had been a while since anyone had ever brought up supernatural things like that. Jillian remembered how powerful and strong and brave she felt as Diamond. She shook her head to clear her mind and just smiled at her boss, who was now puffing on a cigar.

"Glad you like it, sir. I'll be going." She said and turned for the door.

"Going where? I need you on call! Or, haven't you heard?"

Jillian spun around, her face stern.

"The Sinister Six are showing up all over the city! Spider-Man's dealing with 'em, or trying to. They're at large, Finch! How do you not know about this?"

Jillian pondered. Why hadn't Peter called her or warned her? He was so sure that they were after her, too...but then again, he was Spider-Man. He was a busy guy.

"I guess I'm just not as up-to-date, sorry, Mr. Jameson."

"Don't give me sorry! Give me news! Go!" He said, shooing her out of his office. Jillian was glad to be out--cigar smoke really messed with her allergies. As she walked out Betty Brant approached her. "Hey, Jillian! Are you busy during your lunchbreak? I was thinking we could go out to the diner down the block."

Jillian smiled. "I'd love to, Betty! That sounds nice." _ I need to get out and keep busy, instead of worrying about Spidey, _she thought.

Jillian sat around the office all day, occasionally chatting with other staff members who had been there much longer than she. Miriam Birchwood questioned about her section, which Jillian simply stated was doing as well as could be expected. She practically had a new story every few hours at this rate, with knowing everything Spider-Man knew. But time passed quickly, and before Jillian knew it she was walking down the street to the Moondance Cafe.

"Jesus, my eyes are still tearing from Jameson's cigar smoke! How long have you worked for that guy?"

"Long enough to have become immune to it."

"And I'm surprised you're not deaf, with all his yelling."

"Ah, you just tune it out. You'll get used to it--it takes at least five or so years."

Jillian laughed and said: "That long?"

"Oh, you have no idea!"

They got a table and ordered the usuals; Jillian a chicken sandwich, no tomato and Betty Brant a salad with extra blue cheese. They gossiped about work and whatnot, mostly complaining about their boss, who, though was in the business long enough to respect, seriously needed to work on his social skills.

Jillian and Betty split the tab, as they always had in the past, and walked out the front door with less-than-full stomachs. Betty complained how the blue cheese wasn't as blue cheesey as it had been last week, but Jillian wasn't listening. Instead she watched as the Fantastic Four came flying overhead in their hovercar. Johnny Storm was close behind them, his body burning in a wave of flame.

On instinct, as she had learned as a reporter, she screamed his name and hers, trying to get him to stop and recognize her. She had spoken with him before, for her section in the paper but also casually, as she had seen him while being in the company of Spider-Man.

The Human Torch looked at her and stopped in mid-air, hovering a few feet from the ground.

"You!" he cried.

"Johnny, where are you going? Where's Spider-Man?" Jillian asked.

"We're going to help him right now! Webhead's not doing too good."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't talk--"

_"Where is he?!"_ She shouted.

Johnny was taken back, but said: "He's fighting Venom and dealing with Mysterio's illusions--which are really messing with his head. We're going in as back-up."

"Damn!" Jillian shouted. Spider-Man never needed back-up! If he did then he was either hurt or he knew he was outmatched...

"Mr. Storm, take Jillian there!"

Jillian turned around, surprised that Betty would volunteer her like that.

"Are you nuts, Jill? Go! You can get such a good story for the paper! Go!" Betty said.

Not having the time to argue, Johnny picked her up and took off. The speed was so much greater than that of Spider-Man's--she had been swept off her feet by the Human Torch before, but he never flew as fast as he was now.

"Johnny, really, please tell me. Is he okay?"

"Spidey's fine, Jillian. Don't worry," he said, taking a left and heading down from Union Square. "It really is too dangerous for you to come! If they recognize you it's not going to end well. Spidey told me all about yesterday."

"He did?" Jillian then shook her head and focused. "Well, I don't care. I have to be there. You know it's not about the stupid newspaper!"

He nodded. "I know." And he saw Jillian's face. Jillian honestly didn't give a damn about her stupid section in the _Bugle_. She just wanted to make sure her friend was all right.

Johnny Storm made a quick right turn. Jillian heard a buzz coming from his ear, and Johnny said aloud: "On the way, Reeds! I got Finch with me."

There was another low, crackled voice. Jillian figured he must have an earpiece on.

"Yes, Jillian Finch. She wanted to come, that's why. Well--she has a right--of course I know she's not the only one who knows--she cares about Spidey, isn't that--yes, I got it. I got it._ I said I got it!" _

The Human Torch slowed down, little by little, until coming to a stop. He set Jillian down on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry, Jillian. Mr. Fantastic thinks it's not safe for you to come."

Jillian gave him an evil glare. "You know I'm going to go there anyway."

He gave a sad smile."I know," and started to fly.

Jillian was already halfway down the block.


	11. From The Smoke

One thing Jillian knew about herself was that she was very brave, but also very stupid. But it wasn't necessarily stupidity as it was irrationality--attacking Doc Ock, getting a ride from Johnny Storm; those kinds of things. But Jillian knew that _this _rash action was not out of stupidity. As she kept running, her heels clattering on the concrete, she knew that yes, going to this dangerous battle was indeed stupid, but it was also an action out of compassion and worry.

Jillian was not a hero. She had to remind herself every once and a while that she had no amazing powers, not special abilities, and only a cheap mask she had cut eyeholes out of that didn't even qualify as a costume. Jillian knew that her strength was nothing special, that she could not fly, and that she was not a hero. But Jillian still continued to run.

Jillian knew that deep down she was full of envy, and that she wanted to power to help Spider-Man. To her, just being there with him was help enough. Jillian felt a need to be there with Peter, to watch and to be able to help him--even though she was putting herself at risk. But she felt like she had to, she wanted to--she wanted to be a hero. And being there with Spider-Man and seven other maniacs made her feel closer to that desire.

But as Jillian thought this, and as she arrived at the scene, she concluded that she was just plain stupid.

She had never seen anything quite like it.

Cars were turned over and burning all over the place, lamp-posts were scattered over the ground, there was broken glass everywhere, and the screams that filled the air were accompanied by the banging and clashing of debris. Civilians were running in every direction, children crying and women screaming and men shouting. Jillian was in awe until she realized one thing: Where was Spider-Man?

Jillian analyzed the chaotic scene, and found no superhero and no supervillains. Where was Johnny Storm and the Fantastic Four? Where was Venom and Mysterio? Where was the reason they were all here; where the hell did everyone go?

Jillian stood alone in the street now, as everyone had done the smart, normal thing and run like crazy to safety. But no, something was not right.

Jillian heard another loud clash of metal and she ran in that direction, her vision focused on anything that stirred. She turned a corner, nearly crashed into an overturned taxi cab, and continued her path down yet another destroyed street. She heard a bang come from inside a nearby building, as then she heard shouts and curses.

That's when Spider-Man came flying through a window.

He tired to fire a web, but the ground was too close. He landed on his back, rolled as his legs flew over his head and continued to flip until friction got the better of him. He looked up at the sky, and Jillian came into his view as she stood above him.

"Jillian!" He shouted, jumping up.

"Spidey! I heard, where's the Fantastic Four? What's goi-"

"Finch, get the hell out of here!" He shouted, pushing the right portion of her upper body. The push was not intended to hurt, but it did. Jillian gasped as she stumbled backwards and tripped, landing a few feet behind Spider-Man. He looked at her, extended a hand to offer help, but then focused on the fight as a cloud of smoke appeared from nowhere.

Spider-Man faced the cloud and jumped in, head on. Jillian knew he had to rely on his spider-sense; an ability of his that warned him of danger that he had told her about off-the-record. She waited, but nothing happened. There was only a series of cuts within the clouds showing rapid movement.

Then Venom came out of the same building that Spider-Man had been thrown from a few moments earlier. He was followed by Johnny Storm, who was throwing flame-ball at Venom repeatedly._ Brilliant,_ Jillian thought. _One of the suit's weaknesses is heat!_

Jillian ran as a fire-ball came dangerously close to her located, and she crouched behind the taxi that she had almost walked into before. She ducked as she saw Venom running her way, also planning to use the car as cover. He leaped over the side of the car that was facing up, crouched behind the hood, and braced himself as the other side of the car became extremely hot. As the flames died down Venom looked at Jillian. His mouth entered a slimy grin, and his long tongue flopped from the side of his mouth.

"Hiya, Finchy."

"D-don't come near me!"

"What, no hug?"

Jillian ran down the block, hoping Venom would rejoin the fight rather than chase after her. But she felt the ground shake behind her, and she knew Venom was gaining speed.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted, not looking back. She could hear his heavy, panting breaths. He wouldn't eat her spleen, would he? Jillian kept on running, her heart pounding, until she didn't feel the rumble of the ground behind her. Had Venom stopped and turned around? Jillian then realized the answer and ducked her head on her arms and rolled backwards.

Venom yelped as he landed on his stomach on the concrete.The ground shook like in an earthquake.

Jillian took this chance to run and find Johnny Storm again. Where had he gone? As Jillian ran past the cloud of smoke she saw him, coming out bruised.

"Johnny!" she shouted, running closer to him.

"I dunno where Mysterio went...Spidey's still in the smoke."

"God, this is bad!"

Johnny Storm then grabbed Jillian's wrist. "Not nearly bad enough."

Jillian tugged, but he wouldn't let go. She kept on pulling and looked into his eyes. She was a flash of cold and evil, and she knew what was going on.

"Chameleon! Let me go!"

"Why would I do that?"

"You let me go this instant, or I'll...I'll..."

"Or you'll do what?" he laughed.

Jillian thought, smirked, and kicked him in the most sensitive area. He moaned and held in a scream. Jillian smiled in triumph, but realized that he had still not loosened his grip on her wrist. The Chameleon replied then with a smack across the face. Jillian was not used to being hit, and the blow caused her to sink to the ground.

"What do you want with me?" she asked sternly, her free hand holding her face, which was a burning red.

"You? Nothing. But it wouldn't hurt to have you along for the ride, how would it?"

"Where's the real Human Torch?"

"He departed to go help his fellow teammates, who found their hovercar under attack by the Vulture. Now keep silent!"

Jillian did so, and watched the cloud of smoke. Where was Spider-Man? Why was he taking so long in there? Why didn't he come out, make sure everything was okay? Was _he_ okay?

Suddenly Mysterio's gloved hand appeared out of the smoke. The Chameleon tensed up and jerked her wrist. "The signal," he breathed. "Come on, we need to get out of here. Now."

Jillian remained on the ground and didn't move. Her mother had taught her that if someone was trying to kidnap her, she would sit on the ground and kick and wail and scream from help. Jillian, trying to free her arm, threw them in every direction. She kicked her feet out at the Chameleon's knees, and she cried for help.

Spider-Man jumped out of the smoke literally one second later.

**_A/N: Thanks so much for sticking with the story and for all those lovely reviews! I'm sorry to report that I'll be gone until around the 30th--I'm going to Disney World! _**


	12. Taken Away

It took Spider-Man a moment to see what was going on. Okay--so, _no_, the Chameleon and Jillian were _not_ holding hands. That'd be wrong. What_ was_ going on here became clear as soon as the Chameleon pulled out a pistol from his back pocket and pointed it at Jillian's head. Spider-Man, who was still recovering from the smoke in his lungs, didn't move. He knew that, in situations like this, crazy people were not afraid to pull the trigger. And this crazy person had Jillian.

As soon as Jillian saw the gun from the corner of her eye, her heart skipped a beat and she felt like she was going to faint. A heat flash swelled over her; a feeling known as fearing for your life, and she was afraid to do anything, say anything. She finally managed to swallow and say: "D-don't worry ab-bout me, Spidey." _Aw, who am I kidding? Help me! _

"Chameleon, let her go." Spider-Man said simply. He did not show any intention of attacking or running. He just stood there, in front of the cloud of smoke which was starting to fade. "Chameleon, you don't want her."

"Don't be so sure, Spider-Man!" The Chameleon hissed. "Venom and Octavius told me all about you and little miss Finch here! We know how close you are."

"Okay. Okay. What do you want?"

"I want to take her. If you follow me, I will kill her. Do you understand?" It was then that Mysterio jumped out of the cloud of smoke and, using his notorious special effects, created a blinding light which provided them with an escape opprotunity while Spider-Man shielded his eyes.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Jillian wailed as they departed into a back alley.

"Oh, will you shut her up?" Mysterio said as they made their way into the darkened streets.

"Why not?" He said. Before Jillian had even comprehended the conversation her eyesight went black.

* * *

Jillian woke up with a loud, long moan. "What the...hell...? Oh, my...head..." She said, holding her forehead as she stood. Where was she? Some sort of dimly lit room...no windows, one door, which was most certainly locked--she didn't even bother trying, there was a cot and a toilet, but otherwise the walls were made up of very thing, flexible metal sheets. Jillian remembered what had happened, and she remembered why she was there. Why did she always get herself into these messes? Why did she have to go see Spider-Man? Would she ever learn? 

Jillian played with the necklace around her neck, knowing the spider-tracer had her safe. But what if she was out of range? She was scared to press it, as someone might notice and it might make some sort of noise, but she didn't see any other option. Jillian squeezed her eyes and pressed the big red gem.

Nothing happened.

Now Jillian was faced with a new worry: did it work? What if the call didn't go through? Was it broken?

Jillian felt around in her pockets to search for a cell phone or something, but they had taken that. What did these monsters want with her? She could not do anything...except be used as a tool for Spider-Man. That's what she always was. A tool, a negotiation, a hostage.

Jillian sat on the bed, staring at the door. How long would they keep her in here? She finally got the nerve to bang on the door. She did so repeatedly, shouting, "Is anyone there?" and "Where am I?" and "What's going on?" several times before the latch on the door started to move.

Jillian backed away and saw the figure on the other side of the door as it creaked open. His hands glowed a deep yellow, one that nearly matched the lightning bolts embedded on his costume. Electro.

Jillian was in awe. She had seen him earlier, when the Sinister Six attacked and interrupted the Green Goblin's little rant, but never this up close, face to face. Spider-Man had once told her that he was the most powerful member of the Sinister Six, as he could--and would--blow up an entire city block just to prove a point. Spider-Man also told her that, if he wasn't so simple-minded, he could potentially be a city-killer. Jillian gulped and looked into his eyes. He had not been wearing his mask, as he had stopped wearing it for a few months now. It didn't matter: he was still Electro, with his stupid starfish mask or not.

Jillian gulped. "H-hi."

He didn't say anything.

"W-what's going on? Please?" Jillian tried to think. She knew Electro wasn't exactly stupid, but he wasn't smart either. She tried to think back to when she researched him for an article. Suddenly, it all came to her.

"Y-you're Max Dillon, right? Please, Mr. Dillon--where am I?"

"You're with us--the Sinister Six. Give or take the Goblin."

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"I dunno. Doc's the brains around this joint."

Jillian smiled. "O-okay. Are you going to kill me?"

Electro looked surprised at that question, and Jillian was surprised that she asked it. But, nonetheless Electro answered with a very reassuring "I dunno."

Jillian sighed. "Thanks, Mr. Dillon."

He cocked his head. "Thanks for what?"

"For coming in here." Jillian started to sweat. She really hoped that playing this role of a sweet, young, innocent girl was not going to backfire. She gave a weak smile to Electro, who had not moved from the doorway.

Jillian looked at him. "You have electric powers, right?"

He nodded.

"Instead of robbing banks, why don't you just get a job at the power company?"

At this, Electro laughed. He smiled, sighed, and grabbed the doorknob. "I'll send someone to check on you later."

"Can it be you?" Jillian asked, trying to make her eyes seem teary and hopeful. _This better work..._

"Sure." he said, and shut the door.

Jillian took a deep breath. She did it. She talked with Electro and didn't get herself killed. And now she hoped Electro felt the connection that Jillian tried to create, and Jillian just prayed it would work. Of course, this was only Plan B. The spider-tracer was still dangling from her neck...

**_A/N: I managed to sneak one more chapter in here. My vacation is going great, thanks for asking(or not asking). Thanks so much for the reviews! They mean so much! _**


	13. The Waiting Game

Jillian was never the most patient person in the world. At home she would complain, at resturants she would tap her fingers loudly if the waitress was slow, and on the job she raced after a story as soon as she knew what to do. The same went for her relationship with Spider-Man. As soon as she found out where he was at that time--_boom!_--it was almost as if she was already there.

Being said, Jillian Finch was unaccustomed to waiting. So, when the time called for her to sit around and literally do nothing, she had a hard time adapting. She knew that this was a serious situation. She knew that her captors would have no problem killing her, and she knew that a certain friendly neighborhood superhero may not arrive on time. With all this in mind, Jillian still wished that these megalomaniacs would hurry things up a bit. She must have been sitting there for a half hour already, and still nothing happened. What was she supposed to do, anyway? The cot was pointless, because who could sleep at a time like this? They could have given her a Playstation or an Ipod or _something_ to help pass the time. Supervillains were just_ so_ inconsiderate these days...

Jillian didn't bang on the door again, for she knew that it would do no good; they would come when they were ready. Plus, annoying or even angering the six or seven crazed monsters that held her at their mercy by banging on the door may not be such a good idea. Electro didn't seem too upset...then again, he wasn't smiling with a the-world-is-a-happy-place attitude either.

So, Jillian was reduced to waiting. Which she did. For a long time.

During this boring, lonesome span of time Jillian picked up the old habit of day dreaming. It seemed only yesterday that she was staring into space in her history class, dreaming of boys or, more commonly, superheroes. Jillian sat on her lumpy cot, staring blanky at the opposite wall, and played with the necklace that gave her a shard of hope. Obviously, she started to day dream about Spider-Man. In her mind's eye she saw him coming, dramatically sweeping her off her feet and escaping safely. In another version she watched as he beat the villains one by one, and in a better version she even assisted her web-spinning hero in kicking some bad-guy butt. But each vision ended, and Jillian was forced into a sad reality that she didn't even know if she would ever get out of this square room. But she contiuned her day dreaming, for that was all she had to do at the moment.

Jillian blinked a couple of times to cast herself out of her own dream world. Chills ran up and down her arms, and she looked up at the air vent. It was placed high up in the corner of the far wall. Why did they have it so cold in here? Wait a second...that air vent could come in handy! That was when she heard some rustling outside her door. There were voices--she couldn't make them out, but she knew exactly who it was. Whoever the member of the supervillain team was, they fumbled with the lock on the door and pushed it open from its stubborn hinges.

It was Electro.

Jillian gulped and smoothed out her shirt. She smiled innocently and waitied for him to speak first. His face was still bare with a solid expression. His right fist was clenched tightly as he cleared his throat.

"Right...well...I told you someone would check on you. So..."

"Ta-da?"

He nodded. "Ta-da."

"Thank you for coming. It get really quiet in here..."Jillian sighed. She felt sweat come down from her forehead. Would Electro notice she was playing him? Jillian gave a sad bat of the eyes and looked away. "So...can you tell me what's going to happen to me?"

Electro still hadn't moved from the doorway, as he did earlier. Jillian groaned and said: "Come on, I just want answers! I've been sitting in here for hours anticipating how you're going to kill me!"

Electro took offense to this, for some strange, unknown reason, "We don't kill everyone, you know."

"Oh, excuse me. The newspapers must have forgotten to include that in the article about all the murders." Jillian snarled. She got enough courage from her curning stomach to stand up. "What the hell do you people want from me?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you." Electro replied.

"Well, that's just super, isn't it? Leaving me in the dark when I don't even know where the hell I am?" Jillian realized then that the sweet little girl routine she had been playing with Electro was not able to come back. She was furious and she was scared and frustrated and she just wanted some information to work with. She almost came close to slapping him across the face. Jillian then realized that nothing would change a thing. As she replayed her options in her head, she came across the air vent again. That may be her only option. Jillian decided that Electro wouldn't tell her a thing while under orders from the head honcho of this joint, so she simply made a _hmph! _sound of disgust and turned her back to him. "Can you at least turn off the air? It's too cold in here!" And she smiled as she heard the door slam shut.

The first thing Jillian did was race to the cot. With a great tug she dragged it so it lay beside the wall next to the air vent, careful not to make too much noise. After she had it in a good spot on the floor she climbed on top and started to jump. Thankfully the ceiling wasn't that high, and she could easily reach the vent. By the look of the walls one could tell this place was old and run-down. Well, the air vent was not much different. With a few hard pulls the cover to the vent was off, hanging by one loose screw on the top left. Jillian wasted no time and crawled in, making sure to hang the cover so that the one screw that was left intact was angled so that the cover looked as if it was never moved.

Jillian waited inside the cramped vent. Once she no longer heard the fan or felt the cool air, she smiled and started to move. Electro had done what she asked and shut off the air. Perfect! Now that obstacle was adverted.

It was pitch black in the air vent as she crawled. Her knees hurt and her back started to ache, but she pressed onward. The metal clashed as she made her way, and she paused every moment or two so she didn't attract attention.

And as she turned a sixth or seventh corner--she stopped counting after four--she found herself facing a wall, as the air vent shaft she was using as a desperate escape attempt shot upwards. Jillian gulped. She knew she had two options: either sit tight and wait for Spider-Man to come save her like he always did, or try to climb it and keep pushing herself until she couldn't go on anylonger. She nodded and decided what to do.

She squeezed underneath so that the shaft opening where it rose was directly above her. She carefully stood, as it was tall enough and roomy enough, and pressed both feet up against the wall so that she was hoisted upwards. She used her hands to push up and lifted one leg at a time. In a few fast motions, she began to climb upwards. Her body strength would not hold up long, as this was a test of pure power and endurance. How long could her legs support her? Jillian didn't know, and didn't care, at the moment. She couldn't just wait around! She was in danger, she had to do something. Sometimes, when a hero fails to show up, one is forced to take risks. And a wise man once told Jillian that you don't need powers to be a hero, and you didn't need to be Spider-Man to climb walls. Jillian hoped this was true, because she had a lot of walls to go.


	14. The Escape

Jillian knew her knees were scuffed and bruised as she quietly crawled through the air vent. It was cold and dark and cramped, but it was her only hope. As she turned some tight corners she could hear people speaking, no doubt those Sinister Six members who had brought her here in the first place.

"I just checked on Finch, she's getting antsy." said Electro's voice.

"That is no concern of mine. The girl will stay until we decide what to do with her," Doctor Octavius said."It was smart to take her, as she obviously friends with the wall-crawler. But we are not going to try an exchange, like Venom and I did last time we encountered the girl. That did not work the first time, and I sense that it will fail again if we attempt it a second."

"They might be expectin' that, too." Venom's slobbering mouth hissed.

Jillian gulped, as by the range of their voices she knew she was directly over them. She reduced her speed quickly, trying not to make a sound.

"Remember, the girl is their priority. We settled that dispute with Goblin on the first night. I should contact him, see what he is planning with Chameleon, Vulture and Mysterio."

There were murmurs of agreement, and Jillian heard the sound of someone dialing a telephone. Jillian turned another corner, still in ear of their conversations.

"Goblin, this is Octopus. What's your progress?"

A high, irritating voice came from the other end. He was no doubt on speakerphone. "Finch's family is gone. The house is empty. Someone tipped them off!"

"I see. That is most unfortunate. We have the girl with us in one of the back rooms. Will you continue with phase two?"

"Yep. Vulture and Mysterio are on their way now." The Green Goblin's crackling voice replied.

"Are you still planning to proceed with the attack on the _Daily Bugle? _Make sure to find out where her desk is."

Jillian gasped, but covered her mouth instantly as she sped down the air vent to change her location. There was a dramatic silence, and Doctor Octopus' voice came next: "Go check on the girl."

Jillian continued to crawl. She headed left, trying to get as far away as possible. She had thought she was safe for a moment before Doctor Octopus' scream of rage filled the air. They knew, and Jillian started to sweat. She picked up speed in the air vent, turning left and right, left and right. What would they do if they caught her? Would they kill her? Lock her back up again? Jillian didn't want to think about the endless possibilities as she made her way. But that's when she crashed into a wall. She had reached a dead end.

They were searching all the vents, no doubt. She didn't have time backtrack! Jillian grabbed her necklace and pressed the red button again. Jillian hadn't even taken her finger off the gem when a red fist smashed a hole in the air vent from above, a few inches from where she was sitting. Jillian smiled and poked her head out, squeezing her way through and onto the roof.

She turned to face Spider-Man, who was heaving for air. He must have hurried over here, and the fact that he was out of breath did not need to be hidden. Jillian wrapped her arms around him. "Spidey! I knew you'd come! God! Oh--I ha--I have to tell you everything!"

Without a word Spider-Man picked Jillian up and started swinging away. Jillian started telling him everything she had overheard. "Spidey, The Green Goblin_ is_ working with them. They're broken up into teams. His team was going to go after my family, but they were already gone...and something about phase two. Oh, and they just grabbed me for the hell of it. And they're planning to attack the _Bugle! _Octavius said something about finding out where my desk was. And--"

Spider-Man landed abruptly in a back alleyway and pushed her off of him. His usual light tone of voice was replaced with a stern and angry one.

"What the hell were you thinking, Jillian? Were you even in your right mind? I told Torch to drop you off, and you come anyway! Why, why do you have to be everywhere I am? You could have been killed, and I'm actually surprised you're not dead already, with all the stunts you decide to pull!"

Jillian was shocked. This was not what she had expected Spider-Man to say.

He continued: "I have been doing this job for years, Jillian, years without you as my cheerleader! I admit, you saved my life years back, but that was honestly just luck. I don't want you to get hurt, and I don't want to see you following me anymore."

Jillian gulped. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Whatever. Let me swing you home. It's too dangerous for you to be walking home alone."

And Jillian was lifted off her feet again, her necklace flying in the air and bouncing on her chest. Jillian felt the uncomfortable silence, and she knew that Peter was right--but she couldn't help it. She cared too much, and she craved the sensation of feeling alive.

Below them firetrucks and ambulances and police cars had their sirens blasting as they headed down the street. Spider-Man followed, as to go to the scene and help, most likely dropping Jillian off beforehand. But as Spider-Man continued to follow the vehicles with their red and blue lights flashing, smoke could be seen towering over nearby buildings.

Jillian knew exactly what had happened. Like her captors had said over the phone, this was phase two. The building on fire was her apartment.


	15. A Night Ablaze

"Oh, Jeez!" Spider-Man said. He dropped Jillian off without a word and swung into the blaze. Jillian stood outside, watching her home burn. Everything she had...everything...burn. She saw some of her neighbors, who had no idea how this terrible fire broke out. Jillian stood in awe, her eyes unblinking, and watched it burn.

She then suddenly sat down on the curb and played with the spider-tracer gem in her necklace. As she sat there she came up with one simple question: _Now What?_

Spider-Man jumped out of a burning window carrying a young woman who was badly burned on her right arm, and her face was covered with ash. As the woman cried and refused to let go of her savior until paramedics pryed her loose, Jillian couldn't help but cry too. She let the tears fall down and realized that everything was her fault.

Spider-Man did pause to look at Jillian before he leaped into the fire. He met her watery eyes, nodded, and went to risk his life without a second though once again. Jillian sighed and looked away from the fire that consumed her home. She looked down at the feet, then at the street, then a puddle which showed her her reflection. Jillian stomped in the water, unhappy with what she saw.

She looked away from it all down the street. Mouth open, she stood. There he was, standing on the concrete sidewalk like a normal person. The Chameleon. That meant the others weren't far away.

Filled with uncontrolled rage and emotion, Jillian marched over towards him. Her vision was blurry and her heart was pounding against her chest, but she continued straight towards him. He wore a smirk that Jillian wanted to slap right off his face.

Soon they stood only a few feet from each other. Jillian stared him in the eye. And before she even realized what she was saying, it was too late to stop.

"You're pathetic."

The Chameleon seemed a little taken back by this remark. He had expected many words, but not those. "Excuse me?"

"I feel sorry for you people , that you have nothing better to do.You get enjoyment out of this? You're sick."

"You dare speak to me like that?"

"What else have I got to lose? You tried to kill me, my family--you succeeded with my apartment, and you're planning to blow up the place where I work! You people are ruining my life!" Jillian's tone then started to get a little stronger, angrier, and louder._"You're all just big, heartless morons! I don't know what you want from me, but all I know is that this is not normal! Do you even care? How do you people sleep at night?" _

By this time, and by the loud shouts coming from Jillian, many noticed the Chameleon's presence. He knew that the onlookers were aware of him as well. He started to back away and prepared for his escape, but Jillian was not done with him yet. As he motioned to leave, she pulled back her arm and punched him across the face.

_That felt good. _

Police officers ran in, as they had been watching with guns ready, and threw a pair of cuffs around his wrists immediately. Jillian watched with a proud smile and an overall sense of accomplishment, and the Chameleon looked at her with disbelief. "Don't mess with me, my friends, or my family _again," _she warned._ "Ever_ again."

"They're watching you! You won't be safe anywhere, Finch! We're all watching you! Always watching!" Were the Chameleon's last words before he was dragged away to be sent to prison.

Jillian didn't move from the spot where she had assaulted the Chameleon. She just took deep breaths and kept telling herself over in her head that yes, she really did just punch the Chameleon in the face.

Jillian then, not knowing that else to do or what would satisfy this raging monster she felt inside of her, she started to walk. She walked down the street, her hands in her pockets, and she refused to look at anyone. The satisfaction of punching the Chameleon was long gone; he'd now be sent to prison, with a warm bed and three meals a day. But did she have a warm bed? No. Not anymore. As she pictured the Chameleon in his cell, and as she pictured herself now homeless, she couldn't help but think: _Lucky Bastard. _

Jillian went through her options in her head. She couldn't go to her parent's house, as that place was probably being watched. She had even overheard the Six talking about the place. She couldn't go to the _Bugle,_ as that was most likely the next place to be attacked. She couldn't stay with Peter Parker, as if the Six were really watching her every move, then they would find the connection between Peter and Spider-Man easily. She couldn't even stay with Betty Brant; she didn't know where she lived.

All these places were bad ideas anyway; she couldn't put more people in danger by appearing there. No, not until this whole Sinister Six mess was good and done.

While she was walking, a red blur swooped from above and grabbed her arm. She was lurched forward and into the air, grabbing the figure for dear life. "Spider-Man! You could've warned me!" she grunted, as her heart's beats calmed down. "Ya just go grabbin' people off the streets, jeez!"

Spider-Man landed on a low rooftop. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Jillian, I am so sorry. I should've known they'd try something like this."

"Yeah. Me too."

They sat in silence. Jillian then decided to bring up the one thought that was on her mind: "Now what?"

Spider-Man sighed. "I dunno. I'd say that you could stay with me, but..."

"No, I already ruled that out. And I don't wanna put anyone else in danger. Chameleon said that they were watching me."

Spider-Man didn't respond. He was even going to suggest the Baxter Building or Stark Tower when she said: "I'll stay here."

"What?"

"Yeah. Why not, what else am I gonna do?"

"You want to sleep...on a rooftop." Spider-Man said.

She shrugged and nodded.

"I won't let you stay here by yourself. Oh, hold on. I'll be right back." Spider-Man said, and he jumped into the air and swung from sight. Jillian didn't mind being alone--it was sort of comforting, actually. She had her entire mind to herself, and she could just think and hope and wonder. But Spider-Man came back with two sleeping bags--where he got them, she had no idea.

"You need some security tonight. After you took out the Chameleon--which was impressive, by the way--the Six aren't gonna be done with you."

"Thank you, Spidey." She said, meaning it. She didn't know why Spider-Man was doing this, but he was, and she appreciated it. Spider-Man explained to her that this spot was perfect because it was nearly impossible for someone to come undetected, since most of the surroundings were easily visible. She nodded and smiled, but really payed attention to the view. The building was so close to the Brooklyn Bridge, and the sea breeze made it even more enjoyable. It was cold, but it was almost a good cold. She then remembered that Gwen Stacy lady. Was Spider-Man okay with being so close to the spot of her death? He didn't seem to pay it any mind, and she decided not to, either.

She put her head down a time later and tried to close her eyes. She tossed and turned in the sleeping bag, but found it nearly impossible to sleep. She had vivid images of the Sinister Six coming, of her friends and family being hurt, of Spider-Man not being able to save her. After a time of rolling and murmuring she sat upright and opened her eyes. After playing with her necklace for some time she looked at Spider-Man. He was standing with his back to her, watching the Bridge's lights. Jillian cocked her head. "Get some sleep." she said.

"What? Oh, Jillian. You're up." He turned around and sat on his bag.

"Have you slept at all?"

"No. You?"

"A little. You've been keeping watch all night?"

"Well..."

"I won't sleep if you won't sleep." She said. She knew she would never be able to tonight, anyway. She might as well keep him company.

Spider-Man chuckled. "I'm fine. You need your rest, you've had a rough day."

Jillian smiled, but remained upright and watched the Bridge from afar. Its lights_ were_ pretty...


	16. Once Inside

Jillian Finch watched the sun as it rose higher and higher into the dead sky of New York City. Spider-Man, who was barely awake and desperately desired a cup of coffee, didn't speak, because he didn't know what to say.

Jillian knew it, too. She was stuck, homeless and alone.

Spider-Man said: "Why don't you go to work?"

"It's dangerous, isn't it?"

"That building is as relentless as its paper. I'll give you a lift."

Jillian smiled. Knowing Spider-Man, he had something in mind. "Sure, okay."

Jillian was once again, and without warning, swept off her feet and was swinging in the air, heading towards Soho, where Spider-Man would take a shortcut that would lead closer to the location of the _Bugle_ building. Jillian had expected him to land on the ground so that she could go in through the first floor revolving door, but no--Spider-Man started climbing the wall. He opened a window that Jillian, after all the events that had taken place, had always kept unlocked and let Jillian slide inside to the City Room--the main hub of things. As Jillian thanked Spider-Man she felt the eyes of her co-workers upon her.

"What?" She simply asked, and started heading to her desk.

"Jillian, what are you doing here?" asked a calm voice. She turned around--it was Robbie. She hadn't seen much of him, not from the party. But he was always around...he was Jameson's righthand man that kept him in check. "I heard your apartment was burned down. I didn't expect you to come."

"Well, what makes a great journalist, right?"

Robbie's expression did not change.

"I'm fine, Robbie. Really."

"I also heard you punched the Chameleon's lights out. Is that true?"

Jillian gave an evil grin. "That was the best part."

Jillian sat at her desk and typed about last night, and she went into detail about punching the Chameleon in the face. But she was distracted--where was Peter? He wouldn't leave her in a building that was a potential target of the Six, now would he? As Jillian typed she looked up every once and a while. She noticed a redhaired girl paced the floor, looking somewhat out of place. Jillian stood and walked over to her.

"Hi, can I help you?" Jillian asked.

"I'm looking for Peter Parker. Do you know where he is?"

This struck Jillian as odd. Who was this woman? Was she his girlfriend? At once Jillian felt utter loathing towards this woman, but she kept it well hidden.

"I'm expecting him too, actually. You can wait here if you want...miss...?"

"Mary Jane." she stuck out her hand.

Jillian shook it resentfully. "Jillian."

"Oh..._you're _Jillian?"

"You've heard of me?" she asked. Jillian looked then at the necklace that Mary Jane was wearing. It was the same one that she had on now--the red gem, secretly a spider-tracer, with a silver chain. Jillian smirked. "Nice necklace. Peter make that one for you, too?"

Mary Jane smiled. "Yeah, it was a special...oh..." she said, understanding the real meaning behind Jillian's comment. Both girls now thought the same exact thing: _She knows._

Mary Jane seemed innocent enough, but Jillian's eyes stared her down with hate. Who was this bimbo? What did she want with Peter?

It was funny; Jillian had never ever imaged Peter as anything more than a friend. But the appearance of this...girl...made her really think about her relationship with him. Did she secretly love Peter Parker...or did she love Spider-Man? What did she want from him? Jillian's thoughts were interrupted by Peter.

"Jillian! I see you've met Mary Jane."

"Oh yeah." Jillian snarled.

"Jillian, I heard about your apartment! That's terrible. Where are you staying now?"

Jillian didn't like where this was going. "No where, at the moment."

"What do you mean nowhere? That's...no, I won't have. You can stay at our apartment. We have a pull-out couch."

Jillian knew that this is why he had wanted her to go to work. "Thank you, but I can't really..."

"Yes you can. No more questions! You can go shopping with Mary Jane for new clothes, too. I bet you two girls would love that."

"I don't doubt it." Mary Jane mumbled.

Peter clapped his hands, then was pulled away by Jameson. Mary Jane and Jillian eyed each other.

"You Parker's girlfriend?" Jillian asked.

"Yep. You Spidey's cheerleader?"

"Yep."

The silence was intense, and Jillian knew that this Mary Jane girl standing before her felt threatened about her relationship with Peter. Jillian felt threatened about that too, but not as much as her relationship with Spider-Man.

Peter jumped in again. "I gotta run, girls. I've got a few photos I need to catch in Times Square. The Green Goblin's out there--and that means the Six is probably close by, too. I'll catch up with you later."

And they were left alone, competing in an intense staring-contest.

"To the mall, then?" Mary Jane asked.

Jillian smiled, her eyes wide and her brow narrow. "To the mall." Jillian called over to Jameson and said: "I'm taking a break!"

_"What?_ Are you _joking?" _Jameson shouted, taking his cigar from his mouth.

"My house was on fire. Does that sound like a joke to you?"

Mr.Jameson fell silent. And the silence between them lasted in the elevator, and in the halls, and on the way out onto the street.

That was until they heard the scream.

The citizens of New York looked up into the air, and they saw the Vulture soaring hundreds of feet overhead. Jillian recognized him right away, and she didn't care if anyone else did. From the look of it he was carrying another person. The outline in the sky proved that it was a man, but little else was known. All that the onlookers on the street knew was a giant bird man had someone up there with him. What was he doing...

The man screamed.

And the the Vulture dropped him.


	17. Going In

The pudgy woman standing next to Mary Jane was the first one to scream.

As the man plummeted towards the ground the crowd scattered, running and screaming and pointing and looking. Jillian grabbed Mary Jane's wrist and pulled the stunned girl from where she had been frozen in place. Mary Jane looked at her, and all grudges were lost. That stupid stuff did not matter any longer. The Sinister Six had arrived.

"Where's Peter?" Mary Jane asked.

"He had that stupid job near Times Square! He'll never get here in time." Jillian moaned. The man was seconds from the ground. Seconds.

No one saw the man hit the ground because the front of the_ Daily Bugle_ building exploded, covering the body with rubble and debris. Jillian screamed and ducked behind a parked car that Mary Jane had been smart enough to pull her behind. Doctor Octavius came crashing through the wall. He was holding the receptionist who worked at the front desk in the main lobby of the building. He dropped her, and she remained unmoving on the ground. Jillian was horrified as she stared at the body. "We've got to get out of here..."

"Jillian Finch, I know you're out here." Octavius hissed. His voice was so cold and empty. Jillian felt Mary Jane look at her. Jillian didn't know what to do...he would kill her! But he would also kill everyone and anyone inside the building...but he would probably do that anyway...oh God...

Jillian wasn't thinking as she stood from behind the car. On impulse they both pressed the spider-tracer disguised in their necklaces at the same time. She told Mary Jane to stay hidden as she walked towards Octopus, who was smiling.

"A wise choice, Ms. Finch. Now I don't need to rip apart the city looking for you."

"What do you want from me, _Otto?" _she said, daring to use his first name.

He merely laughed. "Don't flatter yourself,_ Jillian. _You hold no significant value and I don't care what happens to you. There is a bigger picture here...or did you really think the Sinister Six was actually looking to hunt you down? Silly, pathetic girl." he grabbed Jillian around the waist with one of his tentacles and headed inside.

"Anyone who dares to enter this building will be executed on the spot. I'll even give you a demonstration..." Another tentacle grabbed the body of the receptionist and threw her inside. As soon as the body left view there was a great flash of light. Within seconds the corpse was thrown back outside, except now it was blackened with electricity. One of her dead fingers was even on fire. Electro came out, fried the body again, and turned it to a mound of ash.

"And stay out!" Electro hissed.

Jillian was mortified. She looked at him with wide, unbelieving eyes. "Max..." she said. Doctor Octopus started moving, keeping Jillian visible long enough for Electro to turn around and see her face. He backed inside the building and remained at his post, ready to electrify anything that crossed the line...

Doctor Octavius made his way to an elevator shaft. He opened the doors with two free metal arms and entered the shaft. "Much faster than the stairs..."

Jillian made no sound.

As the ascended Jillian could only wonder how many other people had been brutally murdered without reason. She could only wonder where she was going, and what awaited her. She could only wonder where the hell Spider-Man was and why he was taking so long. She could only wonder what they were going to do to her.

"This is our stop." Octopus said. He opened the silver closed doors of the shaft again at their current floor and entered. Jillian spun around in the metal tentacle's grip to see what exactly was going on. They were in the City Room. Mysterio was sitting on her desk, going through some papers. The staff--including Robbie, Betty and Jameson--were tied and crowded in the back corner. Doctor Octopus threw her to the floor.

"Put her with them." He said in one breath. Jillian felt cold hands on her. She looked up and saw Venom, his tongue slobbering out of the left side of his mouth. She had not seen much of Venom, but now she had seen enough to be scared for life. Jillian felt the rope dig into her flesh, burning her arms and legs. Venom dragged her over to the pile of hostages, but placed her a little more in front of the others.

"Let's go over what we've got here. Vulture is providing aerial support. Electro's keeping guard downstairs--yes, he can handle it--Chameleon is in prison, thanks to a certain somebody-" he eyed Jillian evilly "-where on earth is the Goblin? That maniac should've been back from Times Square by now."

"How long does it take to distract Spider-Man? Honestly!" Venom hissed.

"Who knows with that guy." Mysterio offered.

"We cannot depend on him. Venom. Assume your position and wait for Spider-Man. The Vulture or Electro will buzz in whenever they see him."

Jillian moaned. She looked at her boss, J. Jonah Jameson, and then at Betty Brant and Joe "Robbie" Robertson. She knew that they most likely blamed this one her. Why didn't she tell them--she knew this place was going to be attacked. Did she not want it to happen, and not telling anyone made it seem less real? She didn't know. And, like some of the others, she started pulling at her restraints. This small action gave her hope whenever the ropes felt looser around her arms. And with Spider-Man blocks away fighting a different bad guy, and with the Sinister Six planning to kill him as soon as he was sighted near the building, everyone could have used a little hope at the moment.

"I just got a call from Vulture. Might be him or Dare Devil...can't tell, too far away." Mysterio said, holding some sort of communication device.

"It doesn't matter, kill whoever it is. One less costumed freak in this city, the better." Doctor Octopus said.

"And what are you?" Jillian said.

Doc Ock didn't gave a fake laugh this time, but he seemed rather repulsed. "I hardly think you're in a position to make wisecracks, Ms. Finch. You are a stupid little girl."

Jillian held back from saying any more--she knew another little quip would result in violence. She waiting, tugging at her ropes, for something...anything...to happen.


	18. The Sweet Escape

"Mr. Jameson? Is that you?" Jillian whispered from the corner of her mouth.

The man behind her simply grunted. Hearing lots of those on the job, she knew it belonged to her boss.

"Mr. Jameson, I'm sorry. I should've told you about all this."

"Why do they want you?" another voice said. Robbie.

"They don't apparently. Damn! These ropes are too tight. Okay...I have an idea..." Jillian waited until all of her captors were turned around. When she had no eyes upon her, she flung herself onto her side and turned herself around so that she lay on the floor facing the rest of the hostages. She flipped her neck around and her necklace flew out on the floor in front of her. She whispered: "I already pressed it, but I need someone to kick at my necklace."

"What?"

"Someone, step on it."

As Robbie used all his strength to lift his tied feet over the gem, Jillian was yanked backwards and lifted into the air by a metal arm. The arm turned Jillian to face its owner--Doc Ock. He used his human hand to examine her necklace. "Very pretty, Ms. Finch. Why would you want to smash such a beautiful necklace?"

She did not answer.

Doctor Octopus pulled and broke the chain, ripping it from her neck. He held it up and then pressed it, seeing it blink once, and looked up again at Jillian. "I think I know what this is..."

She still did not answer. Doctor Octopus thew Jillian back onto the floor with a force that could clearly break bones and showed his fellow outlaws. "I've seen this before...no, you fool, look at the gem! It's one of Spider-Man's little toys. He knows Finch is here."

"Bah! How can you be sure it's not some new style? Have you seen what people wear these days?"

"Shut it, Beck." Venom hissed at Mysterio. "It's a spider-tracer. I can't tell you how many times it pulled a fast one on me. Spider-Man uses them...it has a certain radius, but he can track it with his spider-sense."

"How do you know so much about these things?" Mysterio asked.

Venom nearly grunted.

As Venom told them all this Jillian began to sweat. They knew about the spider-tracer...what would they do with it? Her question was soon answered. Doctor Octavius barked into their custom-made walkie-talkies and told the Vulture to come to a window. Within seconds an old man in a green flight suit hovered on their floor.

"Toomes, this device belongs to Spider-Man. Finch had it, and he can track the signal it gives with a spider-sense of his. Take it, grab a hostage--a woman--and you take it from there."

The Vulture grinned, took the necklace, and darted low to the street. He appeared seconds later as he ascended thousands of feet, but along with a screaming woman. Jillian flinched--now what? That question seemed to come up a lot lately. Now what?

Jillian thought back, back to when she was foolish and when she stood up to killing machines such as her captors. What could she do...?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Jillian had to admit, she was stupid. And being stupid caused her a lot of pain. She had been kidnapped more than once, nearly killed, her friends and family put at risk...and for what? To get that thrill, that feeling of power? What power could she possibly have, besides her words? She was a journalist! And she knew--she wrote about these amazing people who do amazing things with amazing power, and she couldn't do a damn thing but put it down on paper. She wanted to be those amazing people...but she was Jillian Finch. Reporter for the _Daily Bugle._ Only mortal.

_"Jillian!" _a voice shouted, coming from outside. All heads turned to face the windows. "Vulchie! Give me Jillian!"

The next sound was of a woman screaming. A flash of brown fell from the sky, and then a flash of red. "Huh? You're not Jillian."

There was a long silence after that, and everyone waited for something to happen.

"Oh, Vulchie! _Hi-yah!"_

"You fool! I can't see! _I can't see!_ You'll kill us both!"

"Oh, really?"

Another silence from the exterior.

_"Yee-haw!" _suddenly was shouted from outside. Everyone looked around, to see who had made the noise. That's when Venom screamed: "Duck!"

The Vulture, blinded by a wad of webbing, came crashing through the far wall, with Spider-Man riding on his back. He flipped over the Vulture's head, pinned his wings to his side with another head of webbing, and stood to face the rest of the monsters in the room. "Whoo. That was fun. I gotta do that again."

"Scatter!" Mysterio screamed. All at once Doctor Octopus crashed through the floor, Venom leaped out the window, and Mysterio disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Spider-Man wasted no time. He quickly untied each and every one of the hostages, saving Jillian for last.

"Where's MJ?" he asked.

"Outside."

He gave a sigh of relief, knowing that the others were paying close attention. "Hey, Finch. I'm sorry I took so long. I had to make a pit stop..." and in his hand he held a black mask; the one Jillian had created for her time as the false super human Diamond. She looked up and him with the biggest smile.

"Can you get the hostages out of here?"

Jillian turned on the mask, understanding Spider-Man's apology and his attempt of giving her some extra motivation. "You know it, Spidey." and with a hug Spider-Man tied the spider-tracer necklace around her neck once more. "I got that back for you." he said, and then he leaped into the crater where Doctor Octopus had vanished. Jillian turned to face the group. "Okay. We have got to get out of here as fast as possible. Where--"

That's when the floor below them erupted in a wave of fire. A crackling laugh filled the air. The Green Goblin.

Great. With that crater Doc Ock had made, and now the explosion Gobby had just provided, the stairwell was totally impossible to get to.

"Let's go!" Jillian shouted. Everyone followed her, though she was making it up as she went. She headed out into the hallway and saw the open elevator doors. That's when she got her idea. Just like in her brother's school.

"Okay. We are going to climb down the elevator shaft. Hold onto the cables and just--"

"Are you mad?" Jameson spat.

"I've done this before! And if you don't like it then why don't you lead everyone out, _boss?"_ she spat. Jillian didn't know what had come over her to speak to her boss like that--even in a situation like this. Maybe it was the mask Spider-Man had recovered for her, maybe it was something else. But knowing that they would follow, she jumped into the darkness of the shaft and latched onto one of the cables. She began to descend and make her escape.


	19. Follow The Leader

Jillian held the cable tightly as she inched her way downwards, making sure her legs were wrapped around it as securely as possible. She looked up and saw about half a dozen people above her, and she prayed that one didn't slip and fall. There were people on all eight cables now; two per each of the four elevators. They were progressing at a good speed.

The plus side was that she didn't have her younger brother and a bunch of innocent children to worry about; these were adults, and they knew what they were doing and how to take care of themselves. The downside was that instead of a fire there were seven mass-murdering machines out to get them, and they could kill them quicker than any fire could. Jillian actually preferred the flames.

At this point, Jillian's friends and coworkers thought that wearing the mask Spider-Man had given her had gone to her head. An elevator shaft? Are you kidding?

"The closest elevator is a few floors down," Jillian called up to her fellow escapees. "We'll have to stand on top of it and go through the emergency exit to get inside. Then the stronger men--and women--will have to find a way to open the doors. Kick at it--I've done it before."

"How far down?" an unfamiliar masculine voice asked. It echoed in the darkness of the shaft.

Jillian looked down. "I'd say we've got three more floors to go. Men, switch to the next cable over. You'll be the ones to kick down the doors."

Mr. Jameson passed her and he climbed down the cable, followed by Robbie and few others she didn't know all that well. "You said you did this before?" a pale man asked.

She nodded. "At my brother's school that caught on fire. Come on, no time for questions!" she snapped. And she watched, along with the women and the weaker, older men as the others climbed through the trapdoor into the elevator. Their attempts to open the door, and their cries of pain when they kicked at it the wrong way, could be heard by_ all._

That's when the _"all" _showed up.

The Green Goblin had somehow managed his glider into the shaft, and he circled a few feet above the last hostage. "Sitting ducks, sitting ducks!" He cackled. Jillian started to panic. Thinking of getting away from the Goblin rather than safety overall, she sped down the cable and, when at a close enough distance to the top of the elevator, jumped.

She did not know what convulsed her to do so. Maybe it was her mask. Maybe it was life-or-death. Whatever it was, she fell.

She landed hard, with a loud thud, on top of the trapdoor. She knew her right leg was broken, and her right arm wasn't doing all that well either. She squirmed about and positioned herself so that she fell through the open emergency door. She startled the men inside, who must not have heard her impact over their kicks.

"What the--"

"You've got to hurry! It's the Goblin!" Jillian managed. The grave expressions on the men's faces only worsened as they put all their effort into the dented and damaged doors. Jameson kicked at the top of one when it nearly fell off entirely. Through the small opening they could see the offices. All at once the men tackled the door that dangled out of place, and they smashed it to the ground. Jillian rushed with her limp underneath the trapdoor and looked up. They first people on the cables were only a few feet away.

"Jump! It's open! You haven't got time!" she shouted. And she cleared the landing area, rushing out of the door. Most of the men in the elevator assisted their fallen friends and coworkers. One woman heaved: "He got Steve! He started picking them off and--"

"How many did the Goblin get?"

"At least two."

Everyone froze. These monsters were not joking around anymore. They would all be dead if they didn't try one-hundred-and-ten-percent to get the hell out of there.

"Okay...don't panic. What floor are we on?" Jameson asked.

Betty Brant looked at the elevator buttons. "Apparently, we're on level four."

"It's too high of a jump." Billy Walters said from the back.

"Yeah, I was thinking that. The stairwell is probably guarded." Robbie said.

Jillian couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you people nuts? We do not have time for this! Look--the stairwell may be guarded, but its our best bet right now! Unless you want to jump outta a window--in that case, be my freaking guest!" and she stormed off to the stairwell, not caring if they followed. Were they stupid? Seven crazy monsters that wanted to kill them were at large in the very same building, and they're having a casual discussion! Geez. Some people.

Jillian swung open the door to the stairs, and quietly limped down. She ignored the pain, because if she did not then that could would that be? Pain would not help her, broken bones would not help. She just kept telling herself that all she needed to do was get out. As if it was easy.

She saw a horde of people from the corner of her eye, and she knew they would follow. She crept down the stairs, keeping close to the wall, and peeking below to see if anyone was there whenever she was given the chance.

Jillian found herself on the third floor within five minutes of sitting, waiting, listening, and creeping.

She was halfway to the second floor when she saw a flash of green and yellow. The glowing figure ran into her, and knocked her down completely. They rolled down the stairs and crashed into the wall where the stairs came to the second floor. Jillian jumped up, and so did the man.

"Max!"

Electro looked at her, his hands sparking. She stood in a ready position, her feet planted lightly on the ground and her breaths in deep heaves.

"Who are you? Wait-_-Finch?_ What the hell are you doing with that mask on?"

She didn't answer. No one did.

"Don't you move, or I'll incinerate you where you stand."

Jillian nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"What, you don't believe me?" He yelled.

"No, I honestly don't doubt that you would incinerate us right here, right now. I saw you do it to that helpless woman outside, didn't I?"

Electro nodded. He had forgotten about her.

"Max, what are you and the Six doing here, exactly?"

"Killing Spider-Man, as always. I heard Mysterio got him good. Thanks for your help, Finch."

Jillian's face was red with rage. "Don't you dare! I had nothing to do with this!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, why don't you all--uh--just...don't move!" he said. Jillian could tell that he had no idea what to do with these escaped hostages he had stumbled upon. And behind the mask Jillian knew what she had to do.

"Max...I really thought you were a nice guy deep down. When you kidnapped me and checked on me--and--I_ hate you're electric guts!"_ she screamed loudly as she used her left, unbroken leg to give him a roundhouse-kick right to the head. He fell backwards, and, not giving him time to get up and fry them all, she punched him in the face, stepped on his back, and actually wanted to crack his neck. But Jillian stood, kicked him one more time to ensure that he was unconscious, and gave a satisfying sigh.

"That takes care of the guard. Now move it, people, move!" Jillian yelled at shocked faces. They did not care how Jillian had just managed to survive that confrontation--they wanted to get the hell out of there. A mob ran down the stairs, rushing and screaming and gasping. Jillian joined the crowd, limping, and soon tripped. Before she hit the stairs someone caught her arm and threw her into their arms.

Jillian was in utter shock. "Mr. Jameson!"

"Thank you, Finch. You saved all of our lives. That was very brave." he said, trying to maintain a calm voice while darting down flights of stairs.

"Mr. Jameson--?" Jillian said, confused. He was _nice?_ He could actually _do _that?

"Let's get you to a medic." He offered.

She heaved as he helped her down: "I can't--_Spider-Man_--"

"--can take care of himself."

Jillian looked him in the eyes and nodded. She looked down and came to a deep realization. "You're right." she said, and allowed him to carry her down the rest of the way.


	20. Outisde The Bugle

The scene outside the _Bugle _was even worse. People screamed with shock and despair and pain. Police officers were shouting at one another, giving and following orders.Pedestrians lined the allowed perimeter, with "signs that read "We Love You Spidey" and "Go Spidey", even one "Hi Mom!". But all Jillian cared about was an ambulance; and there were half a dozen ready at the scene.

"Broken leg, possible broken arm." Mr. Jameson told a paramedic as he laid her inside on the ambulance floor.

"Superhuman?" the lady asked, looking at her mask.

"No. Just...don't even ask, it has something to do with a past even that involved Spider-Man. It got her pumped."

"Thanks, Mr. J." Jillian said as she leaned up to look at him.

"If only those lunatics gave me enough time to reach for the gun I keep in my desk! That would've shown 'em!"

"You have a gun in your desk?" Jillian asked.

"Yeah. Got it the third time my building was demolished by these superpowered freaks!" And Mr. Jameson simply ran off after that, shouting about all this being Spider-Man's fault. No surprise there.

"Jillian!" a high shriek called. Mary Jane had seen Jillian get carried out of the building and somehow had managed to slip past the police.

"Hey...you." Jillian said weakly, being distracted as the black paramedic lady reset her leg. Jillian cringed in pain, but kept looking at Mary Jane.

"Nice mask."

"Thanks. I like it too. Flatters my eyes, I think." Jillian smiled.

"What happened in there?"

"I kicked Electro in the face."

"You _what?"_

"Yeah."

"Man...and I thought _I_ was good." Mary Jane laughed.

Jillian sat up and let the paramedic examine her. "Whaddaya mean?"

"I beat the tar out of Chameleon with a baseball bat once."

"Really now? That must've felt good." Jillian said, genuinely impressed.

Mary Jane smiled, reminiscing of the satisfaction she had felt when the Chameleon had disguised himself as Peter and tried to trick her into cheating on him. "It did."

"Hey! You!" A police officer shouted at Mary Jane. "I told you not to cross the--"

"No! She's with me." Jillian said, saving Mary Jane from some lecture the officer would have given her. Mary Jane smiled with gratitude and sat beside Jillian. "I think we got on the wrong foot." Mary Jane said.

Jillian nodded. "Yeah."

Mary Jane stuck out her hand. "Mary Jane Watson."

"Jillian Finch." she shook it. The girls laughed, and then was reminded of the scene when two people were dragged out of the building in body bags. The two from the elevator, she presumed. Jillian shuddered. Those poor people...were there any more inside?

Another police officer approached the two of them. He was a tall, pale man with a brown mustache. He held his belt with one hand. "Jillian Finch?"

"Present." She said, holding up her hand.

"You got time for the media?"

"Huh?"

The officer sighed. "The hostages are all saying you saved their lives. Ya got reporters lined up 'ta see ya."

Jillian gave a weak smile. That was the last thing she wanted to do--talk about how amazing she was when it was just dumb luck and stupidity. But, she agreed, and she limped outside with her two new casts and newly-forming bruises.

Everyone seemed to be calling her name. Jillian Finch. Jillian. Miss Finch. Everyone. She cleared her throat and faced the horde of cameras and shouting people. "Yeah, so uhrm..."

"Is it true you punched Electro in the face?" someone in the crowd screamed.

"Yeah. After a kick in the head."

"Why did you wear that mask?"

"It's the same one from when I became Diamond during my first year as a journalist."

"Is it true you escaped using an elevator shaft?"

"Yes. I did that in P.S. 1111, with the fire--" and she then was cut off by something flying out of a third-floor window. Something red...

"Oh God!" Jillian screamed, running with a terrible limp to the red figure lying on the ground. Jillian got there before any of the officials, and she sat on knees beside him, pushing away the crowd.

"Oh man." he said. "This isn't happening."

"Spider-Man, what happened?"

"I'm fine. I-_-Jillian! _Jeez--your arm! Your leg! What happened?"

"I'll tell you later. I knocked out Electro. Second floor stairwell. I kicked him in the face."

_"Nice. _I gotta go." he said, standing.

"Go get 'em, tiger." Jillian said with an intentionally high-pitched voice.

Spider-Man stared. "You stole her line!" he laughed, jumping into the building once again. Jillian spun around to Mary Jane, her face pale with worry. Jillian ditched the news teams and walked towards her. She was still sitting on the edge of the ambulance, head facing the ground.

"MJ, I--"

"You're lucky you're in a situation where you can show that you and Spidey are close in public. With me...if I let anyone know they'll catch right on that we're dating." she said in a low whisper.

Jillian put her hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine. He always is. He's Spider-Man, for pete's sake." Jillian then reached inside the ambulance and pulled out a Sharpie. "Wanna be the first to sign my cast?"

Mary Jane smiled and took the permanent marker from her and started to scribble. Jillian sighed. "Man. When they say it costs an _arm _and a _leg_, they're not kidding."

Mary Jane laughed out loud. "You made me mess up!"

"Nah! Just...make that a bunny...?" Jillian said, looking down at her ruined signature.

"A bunny?"

"Gimme a break! I'm high on pain killers. Things are getting a little hazy."

Mary Jane cocked her head. "You're not on any medicine."

Jillian laughed. "Uh oh."

Jillian looked at Mary Jane, who looked back. Maybe, Jillian thought, she didn't have to hate her. Maybe sharing Peter's secret could create a friendship--a strong one. Just because Jillian wasn't the only one who knew the secret didn't mean that she had to despise anyone else that knew it, too. And as they saw the Vulture crash through the roof and soar away with defeat, Jillian and Mary Jane silently agreed that Spider-Man may just pull this off.


	21. Closest Enemy

The sounds of crashes and screams and curses and threats did not help lighten the mood outside the _Daily Bugle _offices. Yes, Electro was out, the Chameleon in prison and the Vulture gone. But that still meant Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Green Goblin, and Venom were still in there. And thinking that Spider-Man had to go at it alone did not make anyone feel better.

A metal arm was seen flying out the window, and Doctor Octavius' pudgy frame appeared, using another tentacle to bat away a now visible Spider-Man. As Doctor Octopus emerged back into the building, Spider-Man was caught by one of Venom's black sticky web-like lines and was yanked backwards. The scream of agony that came moments later had Jillian standing, facing the structure.

"This isn't right. They'll_ kill_ him--and I know he won't. Spider-Man doesn't kill people. But they'll_ kill _him."

"Don't talk like that! Spider-Man's strong, he knows what he's doing!" Mary Jane shouted back. Jillian turned around and saw her tear-stained face. "Mary Jane, I'm sorry. I didn't--"

"Yeah. I know. It's just hard. The worrying. The waiting. Watching the television as your only way of knowing he's okay."

Jillian put her arm around her and gave her a not-so-obvious hug. "I won't leave this place until he's out safe. I don't have anywhere to go, but still." Jillian said, remembering that her apartment had burned to the ground. That was a lovely memory. It seemed so long ago.

"Oh, you know you're staying with us, you idiot." Mary Jane chuckled.

"Thanks."

"One rule."

"What?"

"No peeking at Spidey's stuff, then writing about it in your newspaper."

Jillian took offense to that. "I don't do that. Whatever happens with Peter is off the record. I only write down actual events, or when I am literally standing with Spider-Man chatting. I'm not that kind of person."

Mary Jane didn't answer. No one spoke for quite awhile, and the only sound was from the brawl that was taking place inside. Jillian's face was stern--how dare she accuse her of something like that? What, was miss supermodel/actress afraid of the tabloids now? Hrmph. Jillian tapped her fingers, tapped her foot, looked at the crowd and finally had had it with waiting. She did not like to wait.

Jillian stood, limped her way over to the person who seemed to be the commanding officer, and asked what was going on. They stood a few feet from the front doors of the _Bugle,_ which had nearly been blown off from the crater Doc Ock had caused.

"What's the word?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but--"

"Oh no. I am a very close associate and _friend_ of Spider-Man. I want to know everything you do."

The old, graying man was shocked. "Well, it's classified."

"Classified my ass!" Jillian shouted back.

It was at that moment that two long, metal tentacles wrapped around Jillian and the old police chief. They were lurched inside after screams from the onlookers had pierced the air. They bumped into some broken beams and dust scattered on their bodies. She heard laughter--uncontrollable, evil laughter.

When Jillian saw Doctor Octopus, he did not look at good as he did earlier. He had a black eye, a missing tooth, and bleeding cuts on various parts of his body. "Perfect." he mumbled. He started moving into the wreckage with stealth, not making a sound. Jillian didn't dare scream for help, for the mutinous look in his eyes told her that he'd kill her as soon as she spoke. The police chief understood that much as well. Jillian tried to reach for the spider-tracer that Ock had failed to notice was still around her neck, but her tied arms could not reach.

There was a sound from above, and Mysterio soon came crashing from the ceiling. He landed hard on his back, his goldfish-bowl helmet cracked. He was down for the count.

Doctor Octopus sneered at his weakness, then moved into the stairwell where he saw Electro wrapped in webbing and ready for delivery to the nearest prison cell. So it was down to three. Himself, Venom, and the Goblin. How interesting...

Doctor Octopus put his hand to his ear and spoke: "Venom, Goblin, come in."

"Venom here--no sign of the wallcrawler."

"Goblin hiding in elevator shaft. I killed two escapees, their bodies taken by police. Didn't see me."

"I have two hostages.Going up to City Room. Keep Webslinger busy."

"Will do."

"Roger."

Octavius jerked them forward as he climbed the stairs. Spider-Man would no doubt prepare Mysterio for the cops...which gave him enough time to come up with some sort of plan. Of course, with hostages you didn't need a plan. Just throw one out the window one way, the second one another, and make your escape.

Indeed. This had not gone as planned. If Mysterio hadn't suggested that they scatter, maybe they would have finally killed him. But more than half were out, and the hostages had escaped. Well, all but two now...

A buzzing sound came from Ock's ear. Jillian could hear the muffled voice say: "Venom...down!...Spider-Man...chasin me...damn...good luck, fellas..." and then the noise was gone. Octavius cursed. Great. Now only two left-- that much was obvious. And Jillian knew that, with his bulking tentacles, there was no way he could make it out safe. The hostages were his best bet...a brilliant idea. The Wallcrawler was a sucker for people. Hell, he risked his life everyday to save them. Just like when he gave himself up to save Jillian that long time ago, when he had yet again partnered with Venom. And, yet again, the mistake had been made.

Well, not again.

Spider-Man was not to survive.


	22. The Trigger

Jillian had, for a fact, been taken hostage more than once in her life. But it was not something she ever got used to. The police captain in restrained in the tentacle was carried beside her, and his face showed more fear than Jillian had ever hoped to see in one man. Doctor Octopus was a terrifying person with great power, yet somehow, Jillian also felt that he was just another fatboy who never grew up.

Doctor Octopus had reached the City Room, where Jillian had been tied with the others earlier. Here he took a breath and looked at his hostages for the first time. He grinned.

"Ah, Miss Finch. You never got rid of the mask, I see."

"Put me, down, Octavius." she ordered.

He laughed. "Funny. And, my good officer. One of New York's finest." The grip on the tentacle tightened significantly, and the old man groaned in pain. Jillian, forced to watch this cruelty, shouted for him to stop. Doctor Octopus looked insulted. "You feel you have the right to tell me to stop, Miss Finch?"

"We both know what you really want, Ock. Spider-Man. It's always Spider-Man. So put us down so you can have your little fight!"

Octavius threw his head back and laughed again. "Defeating Spider-Man is my number-one priority, you're correct. But, there are many ways to attack an enemy. Many, many ways."

"Yeah, and you're gonna find out my favorite way in a minute--the classic _punch to the face!"_ said a familiar voice from inside the rubble that had once been the_ Daily Bugle _building. One thought ran through everyone's head: _Spider-Man._

The man in the trademark tights jumped up from the crater in the floor Octavius had created hours ago. His costume was slashed across his chest, revealing a bleeding wound. He seemed out of breath and weak-kneed, but, then again, this was Spider-Man. Spider-Man could be seconds to death and he'd still keep on fighting.

Octavius gave that infamous, evil grin. Spider-Man took one step closer, and as soon as his foot touched the ground both victims yelled out in pain. The tentacles which grasped them had tightened as soon as he moved near the maniac who controlled them. Spider-Man hesitated, then understood. "What do you want with them, Ockie?"

"Let me tell yo--"

"No, let me guess. You are going to use these hostages to distract me. Then we'll have a little fight--you put another hostage in danger, run for your pathetic life, and then come back in a month or two acting like you're the baddest man to walk the earth."

"Close, but no cigar!" Octopus said. "You didn't mention the part where I rip you limb from limb."

"I kinda like my limbs, but thanks anyway." Spider-Man said. And in that moment the metal arm threw the police officer out the window. Glass shattered, the old man screamed, and Spider-Man had jumped out the window to try to catch him. His weblines missed the man, as he had attempted to stick them to the falling officer and yank him upwards. Spider-Man had enough time to watch the old man splatter on the sidewalk.

Jillian knew something was wrong because Spider-Man had failed to made a smart remark, like he always did. Something inside Jillian told her that the old officer was dead. Octavius used the same arm that had murdered the officer to rip Jillian's mask from her face.

"I'm tired of looking at another stupid mask. No, I want to see the look on your face when I kill you or make you watch me kill Spider-Man. Whichever you prefer." He cackled. Spider-Man appeared seconds later, heaving in deep breaths. "You maniac! He was retiring this year!"

"A pity. But none of my concern. That just goes to show you that I am through dealing with you, cretin! All my life it seems I've been haunted by your jokes, and by the humiliation of defeat. I've often pondered on how you could defeat one such as me, and I realized that I haven't shown you what I can really do, Spider-Man. I will kill everyone you know, everyone you love, and everyone that loves you. Starting with Miss Finch here! How does that sound, _Parker?"_

Jillian's head spun towards Spider-Man, yet he acted as if the name had no connection to him. He laughed. "You stupid Sinister Six guys just don't get it, do you? See, if Mysterio hadn't suggested that you all scatter, you might of actually beaten me.  
But I just picked you off, one by one, just like if you weren't in one of your lame groups. I can beat each one of you alone, which is _exactly_ what I did with them and which is _exactly _what I'm gonna do with you!"

Octavius screamed and thew Jillian against a wall. She crashed into a crooked frame and fell to the floor, its glass covering shattering on her back. She stayed spread out on the ground, afraid to move, as she watched a battle take place. Spider-Man punched, tentacles swiped--it was an epic game of back-and-forth blows.

"Die! Die! Die!" Octavius shouted. Jillian watched Spider-Man get smashed into the floor, then dodge another blow only to be hit by another.

Mr. Jameson had said that Spider-Man could take care of himself.

Spider-Man didn't look too good at the moment. And she knew that there was no way Octavius would allow her to escape, even during a battle with Spider-Man. And if Spider-Man lost, then she'd be dead anyway.

Maybe she was stupid. Maybe she was crazy. But she knew all that.

Jillian crawled on her hands and knees over to where Octavius had dropped her black Diamond mask. Her broken leg and arm hurt as she put pressure on such newly shattered bones. She quickly tied it around so it fit snuggly on her face and tried to think of something to do. Over her thoughts she could hear the exchange of blows and threats.

"You look tired, Spider-Man! Want to rest? I'll help!" and then there was a crashing sound of rubble.

"Getting a little weak kneed there, Doc?" Spider-Man's voice rang.

"I'll give_ you_ weak knees!" and a tentacle swiped Spider-Man at knee-height. He jumped to dodge, but was thrown backwards by a blow to the face.

"I've been waiting for this day for such a long time."

"You say that _every _time you think you have me beat. I think you jinx yourself--cuz I'm still here, incase ya haven't noticed." And the wind was knocked from his lungs as a tentacle tightened around his neck. Horrible gasping sounds came from Spider-Man as he was deprived of life-giving air.

_Okay, Jillian,_ she thought. _You're not stupid. You're not crazy. This is the first time Peter ever really needed you. Forget how lucky you were in the past, and how you helped even though he could've done it alone. Right now he'll die if you don't do something. This is your chance to show everyone that you don't need superpowers to he a hero!_

Jillian speed-crawled into Mr. Jameson's office, which wasn't as destroyed as everything else on this floor. Remembering what he had told her earlier once they had gotten her inside an ambulance, Jillian reached for Jameson's desk and opened up the bottom drawer. Nothing. The next one. Nothing. Jillian had spent almost thirty seconds going through all the desk's drawers until she found it. A small, shiny silver revolver. Jillian grabbed it and ran out the door, where Octopus' back was facing her. Spider-Man had seconds.

Jillian, trying to figure out how the damned thing work, pointed it to the roof and shot it off. It echoed in the quietness, and Octavius turned around, loosening his grip around Spider-Man's throat. Jillian had the gun pointed at Octavius' heaving chest by the time Spider-Man broke completely free and backed away.

"You monster." Jillian said, tears coming from her eyes. "You all killed innocent people. People who didn't deserve to die. You killed that old man. You would've killed me."

Octopus didn't move. He was prepared to deflect any shot the girl made. But that didn't mean he was hiding the small amount of fear that looking down the barrel of a gun gave a person.

"You would've killed him, too. Without a second thought. So why should I think twice about pulling this trigger right now, _huh?" _Her lips where trembling. She was scaring herself.

Spider-Man now stepped in. "Jillian...put down the gun."

"Why? He would've killed everyone!"

Jillian took a deep breath. She looked at Octavius, the gun steady, and said: "You killed so many people. You're a monster." And she was convinced that pulling the trigger would've been a good thing. Ridding the world of this cruel murderer would've been an act that saved countless lives. But she couldn't take another person's life. And then she lowered the gun. "I don't want to be like you."

Octavius was shocked that he was not dead. Jillian had spared him. He would not have done the same. They both understood that much. And as he made his escape out the window Spider-Man leaped and tackled him, and they started falling.

Jillian looked at the gun in her hand. She got scared and she threw it away from her. What if she had done it? The thought terrified her. She could've killed someone. That would have made her as bad as them. She looked at the revolver, now lying on the floor a few feet directly across from her. And then she started to run, heading for the stairs, afraid to be alone in this crumbling building.


	23. The Escaped

When Jillian waltzed out of the smashed wall that had once been the front door of the_ Daily Bugle_, she was greeted by whoops and applause and a lot of flashing cameras. But she couldn't give a damn.What had happened to Spider-Man and Octavius?

Policemen and women swarmed her, asking her if she was okay and what had occurred inside. Jillian shushed them all, a little dizzy, and asked: "Where's Octopus?"

Silence fell. Not good.

A woman cleared her throat. "Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus wrestled as they fell from the City Room.Unfortunately, Spider-Man got the bad end of the landing. Octopus had managed to fall on top of him and make his escape as he lay unconscious. We have trained professionals on his tail as we speak."

"So, where is Spider-Man."

"Being treated inside an ambulance. He's not alone, don't worry. There's some red headed groupie in there with him."

The officers did not need to be told--they simply walked her over to where Spider-Man lay, seemingly lifeless. Seeing him so frail made Jillian wish that she had pulled the trigger. A sheet covered up his face, so that the paramedics saw only what they had to see to keep him stable. Jillian and Mary Jane's eyes met, and Jillian nodded, silently telling her that he would be okay. Mary Jane smiled, silently telling her that she knew he'd be okay.

Once it was confirmed that Spider-Man would be okay, Jillian and Mary Jane were given time alone inside the ambulance. The paramedics had removed the sheets and placed his mask back on carefully and quickly, yet they had refused to unstrap the leather straps that held him down, saying it was just a precaution. They shut the two back doors, and Jillian finally felt safe.

"What happened?" she asked Jillian. Her face was tear-stained.

"Octopus threw the officer out the window. Then they started fighting...Octopus was strangling him. I thought he was going to die...then I found Jameson's gun. I almost shot him...I should have..."

Mary Jane reached over Spider-Man's body and put her hand on her arm. "No, you should've have shot anyone! That would have meant you stooped to their level, and that's too low for a girl like you."

"Yeah, but look at Spidey."

"He knows the risk he takes, Jillian. And, from the bits and pieces you just told me, you saved his life. Taking Octopus' wouldn't have done anything. You're a good person."

"Thanks, Mary Jane," Jillian appreciated her words.

Suddenly Spider-Man jolted, sat upwards, breaking all three rows of leather straps. "Yow!" Jillian screamed, startled, she fell backwards and somehow manage to open the back doors, falling out of the ambulance. Spider-Man jumped out and went to help her up. Mary Jane followed, a little slower than he.

"Jillian." He breathed.

"Hey." she said, pulling on his arm to stand.

"I was wrong, Jillian."

"What?"

"Maybe you forgot, but you saved my life back there."

Images of Spider-Man being choked and mangled by Doctor Octopus flashed before her eyes. She shook herself free of those terrifying past events. "Spider-Man, don't--"

"Thank you." he said.

Jillian smiled and looked into his white, teardrop eyes. "You're welcome." she said meaningfully.

"So, where's Ockie-poo?"

"He fled. We have a team on him now." an officer volunteered. He walked over, asked about Spider-Man's health, then Jillian's, greeted Mary Jane, and asked if he was up for the task.

"Up for it? I just fell more than thirty feet. I don't think I'm up for walking!"

The policeman's walkie-talkie buzzed with muffled voices, and he replied in code. He looked up at Spider-Man. "They lost him, slippery devil. How do you lose a man with giant metal arms?"

"So who do we have in custody?" Spider-Man asked.

"Chameleon, Electro, Goblin."

"Goblin? I thought he was hiding out in the elevator shaft." Jillian added.

The officer nodded. "He heard the noises from your battle, Spider-Man, and appeared. We had troops on lower levels of the building ready to attack him. He's being transported to Ryker's Island as we speak."

"It's counterpart The Raft, I presume?" Spider-Man asked.

"Naturally. That correctional facility is like a home away from home for these people." the officer said.

Jillian understood that the place that the two were talking about was a prison. She wrote an article on it once. Dare Devil, Punisher and, on an unconfirmed case, Spider-Man had been held there. Jillian made a mental note to ask Peter when this whole thing blew over.

Spider-Man nodded. "What about the others? Vulture, Mysterio, Venom..."

"...all escaped. Sorry. We did our best--normally those S.H.I.E.L.D. people take care of this kind of stuff, not the NYPD."

Spider-Man chuckled. "I'll have a word with Nick Fury, dontcha worry." He turned to the two girls, thanked them, and swung off to follow one of the three escaped criminal masterminds. Probably Venom, as they not only hated each other, but their battles had gotten a lot more personal over the years. Plus, he was really dangerous. Mysterio was just a wannabee actor and the Vulture was an old man way past retirement.

Jillian and Mary Jane were questioned by police. After a long, long exchange of Q&A they started walking towards Greenwich Village, where Jillian's home once stood.


	24. Unexpected Guest

"Nice place." Jillian commented as Mary Jane unlocked the door to their home in Forrest Hills, Queens. The fact that Spider-Man lived here blew her mind. Did he have a closet full of costumes somewhere?

"So, how long have you two been living together?" Jillian asked as she kicked off her shoes at the door.

"About three months. This is Peter's childhood home. His Aunt May left it to him."

"So..." Jillian said playfully, "Do you hear wedding bells in the distance?" she put her hand to her ear.

Mary Jane laughed the question off and put on the television. The channel that popped up was, of course, the news. It showed Spider-Man...following something black...

Jillian saw Mary Jane's face, and Mary Jane said: "This is what my life's been reduced to. No one said being the girlfriend of a super hero would be easy, eh?"

Jillian put her hand on hers as they watched the coverage together. Then the picture flashed back to the anchorman, and beside him was the face of _Daily Bugle_ reporter Jillian Finch. There are two different confirmed reports that she beat two members of the Sinister Six with her own strength alone. Jillian blushed. Wonderful.

The chance continued, and Venom was seen beating Spider-Man silly. Mary Jane tensed. Jillian didn't say anything, because she knew it was their time to wait. Wait and watch live coverage of their friend risk his life yet again.

"Come here, ugly!" Spider-Man could be heard shouting.

"I'll rip your spleen from the inside of your corpse!" Venom shouted.

"Uh...don't I need that?"

"Not where you're going!"

Spider-Man dodged a punch by flipping into a handspring and said: "Oh. I get it. You're telling me I won't need my spleen because I'll be dead. Sorry, I was a little slow on that one. You should make your jokes clearer--do you want lessons?"

Then Spider-Man was thrown backwards by a kick that had the power to break an average man's ribs. But Spider-Man was not average. He jumped right back up and continued the fight.

"As a reminder, Doctor Octopus, Venom, Mysterio and Vulture are still at large." the anchorman's voice was heard over the battle. "Police have no possible locations--" and then the sound of an explosion took over the TV. Wood and debris flew in the anchorman's direction as he ducked underneath his desk. Mary Jane was standing now.

The Vulture. The Vulture flew into the newsroom.

He perched on top of the desk, not even noticing the cowering man underneath, and looked into the camera.

"This is a message to Spider-Man, wherever he may be at the moment. We know that some of our partners have been apprehended. We know that various police forces are after us. We are aware that our _Bugle _plan did not go as well as planned. But we want you to know this: this is not over. Far from it."

And almost on cue, someone knocked on the door. Mary Jane stood and automatically answered it, like a normal person in a normal neighborhood would do. She looked into the face of her unexpected visitor and was too taken back to scream.

Doctor Octopus smiled. "Is Mr. Parker home?"

It happened so fast. Jillian pressed the red gem in her necklace, setting off the signal to Spider-Man. A metal arm nearly missed Mary Jane's head, as she ducked and it smashed a hole in the wall. He had meant to miss. He wanted to scare them first.

Jillian and Mary Jane backed up to the back wall, leaning against a window. Doctor Octopus was slowly coming towards them, trying to dramatize his appearance. Maybe she could work his egocentric state to their advantage. As he moved a footstep closer Jillian took a nearby table that stood next to the couch and threw it at the window. She didn't care, she would pay them back if she survived this. Jillian told Mary Jane to jump out first, which she did. Jillian then, hating this man more than ever now, flipped him off before she dove out the window.

That's when a metal arm smashed through, almost cutting off Jillian's head. This wasn't like the movies, Jillian thought, where if you spare his life he will become a kinder person and spare yours. No. This monster did not care that she had not pulled the trigger. He would still kill her, after she had done that for him.

The only thing that Mary Jane and Jillian knew how to do was run and scream. So, they did both, moving as far away from him as fast as possible. Jillian didn't even care about her broken leg, which pained her even though she fought through it.

"I...pressed...the...necklace!" Jillian heaved as the breath escaped her tired lungs.

"Me...too."

"Where...should...we...go...?"

"...Away...from...him!" Mary Jane responded, not looking any way but forward.

The ground behind them was rumbling. He was following them. Jillian didn't look backwards, she just kept running as long as her stamina would allow her to. Why would he do something so mundane and enter such a neighborhood? Jillian frantically pressed the spider-tracer around her neck again and again.

Chameleon was easy, because he doesn't really have any 'powers'. Electro was easy, because he was an idiot. But Doc Ock? He was one of the world's most dangerous men. And he wanted them dead. But Jillian wasn't about to let him get his way.


	25. Out In The Open

Jillian never felt a need for curse words. She found them unnecessary, and rarely used them--only in such occasions. But as she dodged another close-call from the metal arm's pincers that tried to grab her fleeing ankle, she simply screamed: _"Shit!"_

If not at a loss for words, Mary Jane would have shouted something very similar.

Jillian felt the danger closing in, and she thought back to a few hours earlier when she was so close to ending this madness with the pull of a simple trigger.

"Getting tired, ladies? I can keep this up all day!"

It was true, and they knew it. They were flesh and blood, who were gasping for air and desperate for a short rest. But the pudgy man at the center of the lifeless arms hadn't even broken a sweat. His arms were not human and required no sleep--they just acted, and they just moved. They could continue this chase for days and not lose stride at all. But the girls were tired and worn out. Between running for dear life and evading certain death in the form of pincers on the end of metal tentacles, they were ready to drop down and catch their breath.

But they kept going. Because this was not happening where no one else could see. Help would come.

The neighbors who were lucky enough to witness the chase ran indoors, naturally, to save themselves. But, naturally, they called the police, who were well on their way. So all they had to do was keep running until someone stopped the crazy doctor. But, even given hope, they had their limits.

Mary Jane knocked over a trashcan as she passed it, hoping to provide an obstacle for the monster behind them. But he merely laughed. Jillian and Mary Jane exchanged grave expressions. They were running out of places to go. And running out of time.

Jillian saw Octavius' shadow before her, and she made an insane move. She stopped in the middle of her run, ducked, and the doctor flew right over her head. This confused him, biding Mary Jane some more time to make the gap larger. Splitting up was a good idea. This way only one had to die, if any.

Jillian took time getting up, but the doctor took time turning around to see exactly what had just occurred. Jillian darted between two houses, jumped a fence that bordered the backyard, and ran through the small patch of short, dying grass. Doctor Octopus just smashed his way through.

Jillian tripped over a garden hose that was attached to a sprinkler and slid in the muddy grass. With her speed she slid some distance and crashed into the opposing fence. She didn't have time to jump over it. She was done for.

Jillian had just gotten on her feet by the time a metal arm wrapped itself around her. Its grip was tight, cutting her off from some air. She looked at him in the eyes, staring down from the height the arm had brought her to. "I didn't pull that trigger, Octavius." she said in a stern voice. This was her only chance right now--the guilt trip. Maybe he'd release her if he finally came to his senses--if he had any left.

"A stupid move on your part."

"How can you say that?" Jillian asked. "I didn't kill you! How--"

"Silence, you insolent little--"

_"You owe me!"_ she shouted before she realized the seriousness of what she had just said.

"You dare? I owe you nothing!" The arm's grip on her tightened, and Jillian grunted with pain. She took a deep breath It was too late to go back now.

"You do owe me, Octavius! If you have one ounce of decency left in you--you'll realize that I'm right. I basically saved your life--"

"You did not save my life!" he spat. "You merely chose not to shoot and--"

"I count that as saving your life." Jillian told him. "I--"

"Silence, you foolish girl!"

"No, you shut up! And you put me down! You owe me, Otto! You owe me! You should be dead right now, but you're breathing the same life-giving air that your fakakta tentacle is depriving me of! Now let me down!"

Octavius was not a fool. He did not put Jillian on the ground, he did not release her from his custody. But he loosened the arm's grip on her, allowing her deep breaths to fill her lungs. He could not believe the manner in which he was just spoken to--by a young girl! She was barely considered an adult.

"You're crazy." he said to her, meaning it. Who else would shout at one of the world's most dangerous men?

"You owe me." she repeated. She tried to let the message sink in--did he realize the good deed she had done by sparing his life? Would be return the favor?

Spider-Man wasn't about to wait around to see. That's when he jumped in.

Spider-Man had miraculously evaded all four wailing tentacles and drew a devastating blow to the doctor's head. He fell backwards, his metal arms trying to snatch the red-and-blue blur. He landed on top of one, tried pinning it to the ground, only to be thrown into the air by it's struggling force and batted away by another.

Doctor Octavius was up and standing now.

"I will rid myself of you forever, insect!" he spat.

"Arachnid. I keep telling you people." He said automatically. He ducked and rolled out of the way of two smashing arms, clearing the ground where he had been.

This entire time, the resident of the house in whose backyard the battle was taking place was standing at a window, ducking, of course, with a video camera. Figuring someone would pay good money for footage of a live battle with everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood super hero, filming didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Spider-Man was caught by the ankle in mid-leap and thrown against the siding of the house. He stuck there for a moment, then peeled of, exposing a crater in the house's exterior. "Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark." He moaned, flipping over Doctor Octopus and shooting webbing at his eyes. A metal arm blocked the gooey mess, and Spider-Man was back to square one.

Jillian had been trying to stand up, little by little, to avoid attention. She just needed the right moment when the Doctor's full focus was on Spider-Man, and then she would run out of there like a bat out of hell. She grabbed the top of the low fence firmly, waiting.

That's when Spider-Man jumped onto the roof, and Doctor Octopus used all four of his metal arms to try and catch him. Jillian threw herself backwards, and like a human slingshot, used the force to leap onto the other side of the fence. She started running, her shoes digging deep into the earth.

Where was Mary Jane? Where would she go? Ah, Spider-Man could track her necklace. She was fine. After all, she must be far off now, since Doctor Octopus had decided not to chase her.

Jillian saw a police car, its sirens wailing, going down the block. Limping almost entirely into the street waving her hands, she called for it to stop.

"What's the problem, ma'am?"

"It took you long enough! Doctor Octopus is out there fighting Spider-Man!"

The officer's face was in disbelief. It was his first day on the job, _his first day,_ and evil crazy people just_ had _to cause trouble. He grabbed his radio and called in for backup, explaining the situation and location of the problem. Jillian remembered something Spider-Man had said earlier, and didn't care if he had been joking or not.

"Get me S.H.I.E.L.D." Jillian told him.

"Ma'am, I dunno know to contact t--"

"Do I look like I have time for excuses? This man is capable of things you never even dreamed of, officer! Sorry to sound disrespectful, but I suggest you radio in on someone who has connections in high places. We have Octopus, Venom, and Vulture still out in this city!"

The young officer suddenly wished that he had listened to his father and became a dentist.

He radioed in, speaking somewhat in police-lingo, and waited for a response. One came, shortly after. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s busy with a sighting of Doctor Doom over in Canada."

Jillian stole the radio from the officer's hands. "How can I contact Nick Fury?"

"He's not exactly in the yellow pages, man." the officer on the other end replied, failing to notice the change in voice.

"You didn't answer my question."

The man on the other end of the radio said: "Ugh. Listen, man. If you tell anyone you got this from me, I swear you're dead."

Jillian laughed. "Not the first time someone told me that today. Whaddaya got?"


	26. SHIELD

"Colonel Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D speaking."

Jillian couldn't believe the number worked, much less that he actually answered. "Colonel, my name is Jillian Finch, and th--"

"The_ Bulge _girl? How'd you get this line?" his cold voice demanded.

Jillian bit her lip. "Sir, the NYPD are on their way over to Forrest Hills, Queens to try and stop Doctor Octopus. Venom and Vulture are still at large in the city. I am requesting back-up."

"You have no authority requesting back-up, or calling me!" he shouted. But then Jillian heard him take a deep breath. "Doctor Octopus, you said?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a moment of silence as he thought. Then he said: "I'll send a team in. Forrest Hills, you said?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"A team was deployed close to your position forty minutes ago. I'll have them moved--should take them less than ten minutes. _And don't call me again!"_

Jillian threw the radio back at the young officer, who hadn't moved from the middle of the road and had started to block traffic. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is sending a team."

"You're nuts." he simply stated.

Jillian smiled. "I guess I am, aren't I?"

Suddenly a shadow loomed over her, and she saw the look on the officer's face. Pure terror. Jillian ducked on instinct and rolled backwards. That's when she saw an chevy nova flying through the air and crashing into the police car parked in the middle of the road. Glass and metal flew in every direction. Jillian was horrified. She rushed over to the car. "Jesus! Are you okay? Hello? _Hello?"_

She ran around to the driver's side window and saw the man with blood on his face, his head turned to face her, unmoving.

"Oh, God. No. No no no no no..."

She stretched her arm through the broken window and felt for a pulse. Still there, still alive. Thank God. She reached down in his lap for the radio and buzzed in.

"Officer down! I repeat, officer down! In need of an ambulance and back-up, pronto!" Jillian screamed.She didn't have time to hear the responses, because Spider-Man had jumped on the roof of the police car. Which meant Octopus was close by. Which meant it was time to run.

Jillian was halfway down the block when she heard someone cry out. No, she did turn around. She did not look back. She kept running. But being out in the open like this was dangerous. But where would she go? Doctor Octopus could surely find her. Jillian needed to think. What was the one place that Doctor Octopus would never think she'd go to? What was nearby, and also completely suicidal to go to?

Jillian smiled, and she turned a corner. She knew just the place.

She kept heading for the quaint home at the end of the block, her speed consistent and as fast as it had been before. She nearly tripped over an uneven sidewalk, but didn't break stride. The neighbors outside knew that a battle was taking place not far off, and most had gotten in their cars to get the hell out of there. Jillian didn't care where they were headed. She needed to get to where she was going, and fast.

Once the house came into view she flung the door open and slammed it shut behind her. She locked it and barricaded it with a chair underneath the doorknob. As if it would help a madman with four metal arms.

"Don't move!" screamed a familiar voice. Mary Jane showed herself, carrying a baseball bat. She set it down with a reliving sigh once she saw the intruder was just Jillian.

"You came back too, huh?"

Mary Jane nodded. "He wouldn't expect us to come back here. I called the police." she said.

Jillian smiled. "Yeah? Well, I called S.H.I.E.L.D.! Beat that!" she said to try and lighten the mood. But the mood remained tense, as they waited--Mary Jane with her baseball bat, Jillian with a frying pan. They knew that these weapons would not do anything, but it was a comfort to feel armed.

"I'm sorry I broke your window." Jillian said as they stood, facing the front door, ready to beat the tar out of anything that walked in.

"Are you kidding? You saved our lives by doing that."

"Yeah, well. I'll still pay for it."

And then there was a knock at the door. It was a hard knock, like the person on the other side wanted to break the door down.

"Who is it?" Mary Jane asked, not moving from where she stood.

"Don't do anything funny! I have a gun!" Jillian lied.

The door opened, and in came Colonel Nick Fury. Jillian recognized him from various photos and articles that had been in the _Bugle. _He wore a stern face which was partially scarred, had thick hair and wasn't as tall as some of the troops that stood behind him. Jillian was in awe. Nick Fury? Here? Did he know Peter was Spider-Man?

Nick Fury eyed the two women. "I thought you said you had a gun."

"I lied." Jillian said. She stuck out her hand. "Jillian Finch. The one who called you."

"Right. We heard Octavius' first assault took place here. You must be Mary Jane Watson, I presume?"

She nodded, lowering the bat but still clutching it firmly. Jillian looked at him. "Any luck?"

"We found a delirious Spider-Man and no Octavius. I have all my Manhattan teams searching for him, as well as the Vulture and Venom."

"W-where's Spider-Man now?" Mary Jane asked.

"He's still looking for Octavius, after refusing medical treatment. Poor kid's had a rough day." and then he turned to Jillian. "Any idea why he attacked here?"

Jillian thought something up fast. "He said he'd attack anyone who knew Spider-Man, and vice versa. I guess he knew I was here."

"That's right. I heard that your apartment was burned down by the Six."

She gave a sad nod.

"Right. I'll keep two men here to guard the perimeter. We're going after Octopus." Nick Fury nodded, saluted, and marched out of the door. Two big men walked inside, one black and one white, each wearing the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform and carrying some sort of advanced plasma gun that neither of them had ever seen before.

"We won't bother you, just keepin' watch." the black man said.

"You get the back, I'll keep watch from the front." the other said. And then they each took their posts. Before the black man exited the house he turned to Jillian. "You're that Finch kid, right?"

"Yes."

"You took out Electro and Chameleon, didn't ya? Man, when I heard that I couldn't believe it. That's impressive! Civilians don't really do that kind of thing often."

"And I don't want to make a habit of it, either." Jillian replied. He nodded and left the two girls to their television. The news camera shoed live footage of an assault on Venom. A S.H.I.E.L.D. team was close to arresting him. One fired off a gun in his direction, and it merely seemed to ripple the air--no bullets came from its barrel. But Venom cringed and wailed. Jillian understood. The gun was special, used to create supersonic frequencies. She had written about that once. And the Venom suit's weakness, other than fire, was sound. Smart move.

So Venom was shot with the sound a half a dozen times before he crippled over unconscious on a rooftop. His symbiote was contained with a chemical inhibitor that the agents didn't hesitate to attach to him. Jillian gave a sigh of relief and looked at Mary Jane. "See? Now only the Vulture and Octavius are left."

She smiled, but Jillian knew that she was still as worried as she was. So what only two were left? All that mattered was that they were loose, and still out there...somewhere...


	27. Aftermath

"You know...when Doc Ock had me against that fence...and when I looked into his eyes...I really thought I was going to die." Jillian admitted as they watched the news. "I never anything like that before. It was...unreal...scary..."

"Yeah. Let's just hope that these monsters and put away."

"It won't matter. They'll break out of jail and they'll kill more people. It's a never ending cycle."

"Don't say that." Mary Jane said.

"It's the truth."

The couch was their sanctuary as they watched the events unfold on the television. Spider-Man was still no where in sight, which also meant Octavius was no where in sight. Would he come back? Would he attack again?

On the screen was a picture of an old man in a green flight suit.

"They found Vulchie." Jillian said. "Just shoot him down! His armor can't be that strong!"

"You'd be surprised." said a deep manly voice. Jillian shot around so fast, if you blinked you would've missed it. Oh. It wasn't Octavius. Him. The black S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. "Sorry to startle ya. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Second door to the left."

"Thanks." he said to Mary Jane. They looked at each other, gave a short nervous laugh, and watched the events on the screen. The Vulture was evading all fire in attempts to bring him down. Damn it! Why was it so hard--he was an old man! He looked one hundred! How could such an old-timer dodge all these bullets? It was nonsense!

As Jillian thought that, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s master plan went into action. The open fire was just a diversion for two air cars, hovering in hiding awaiting the right moment, attacked. Plasma guns fired at him, nets were thrown, and the Vulture disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Jillian stood. Where was he...

The news camera caught the crash-landing as he slid into the concrete, making a giant crater as if the street were made up of mud. His wings were stuck to his sides as the net binded him. He was caught. He was done for.

Jillian and Mary Jane hugged. Even though the most dangerous of the Six was still out there, he was the last one left. Now all they needed was--

"Octavius!"

The two girls stood. Who had screamed that name? Was he here? They weren't taking any chances. Mary Jane was the first one out of the still-broken window. Then it was Jillian.

Afraid to leave the protection of the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guarding them, they bent low and peeked from outside. The black agent rushed from down the hall, toilet paper stuck to the bottom of his boot. His gun was in its ready position. He looked around for the two women, who showed themselves from behind the window.

"Stay down!" he told them. Jillian watched as the other agent who had been guarding the front crashed through the front door. He landed against the couch as he dropped his weapon near the couch. Two metal arms wrapped around both agents and raised them a few feet in the air. Jillian suddenly got an idea.

"Where are they? I know they are here!" he shouted. He was too focused on the agents' faces that he didn't see Jillian crawl inside from the window and hide behind the couch. Mary Jane mouthed at her "Are you nuts?" but Jillian didn't pay her any mind. She keep her eyes on Octavius, making sure that he still did not see her as he reached.

"I know the two girls were here! I saw Fury! If you value your lives you will--" his words were cut off as he dropped both men. He staggered backwards, looking down at his smoking chest. "Who--"

He looked straight ahead of him. There was Jillian, holding the plasma blaster that had just been shot at him. She didn't say a word as his shocked face fell to the ground.

"You_ owed_ me." she said as he drifted out of consciousness.

The two agents couldn't believe it. She was a civilian! And she just shot Doctor Octopus!

Jillian didn't let go of the blaster, and held it the same way she had as she had shot the madman. The agents felt for a pulse and confirmed that he was indeed very much alive.

"Uh...can I have my gun back?"

Jillian handed to him, still unblinking. The black agent called in. "Colonel, make your way to our location. Finch just shot Octavius. Yeah, if I didn't see it I wouldnt've believed it. Tell Spidey if you see him. What? Is he really? Jesus."

He fumbled with his belt and put two hand restraints on the Doctor, though they wouldn't do a thing if he woke. It was just a precaution. It was just protocol.

"What? What's wrong with Spider-Man?" Mary Jane asked.

"He took a few bad punches and then went missing. No word of him at all."

"Damn it." Mary Jane said under her breath. It was then that Mary Jane stood next to Jillian and looked at the body passed out on her carpet. The entire situation hit her. "You're frigging crazy." she said as she shook her head.

Jillian nodded, her eyes fixed on the body. "I know."

An entire team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents came within minutes.They detained Octavius, who was still out by the time they got there, and they swore to remove his metal arms. As if that would last long. He'd find a way to get them back. He always did.

Nick Fury approached the two women while his crew did what needed to be done. "You two ladies all right?"

"I don't think so..." Mary Jane's voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry for what you both went through. But, Finch, Octavius is the third international superpowered criminal you've subdued. That's a record, for any normal person. You've got guts, kid. And, if you weren't just lucky and you actually had some training, I might have asked you to join us. You've got a good head and you think strategically. It's a great quality for a solider."

"And for a girl who doesn't want to die just yet." Jillian added. "Thank you for those kind words, Colonel. I appreciate them."

He nodded, and within hours they were alone again. They sat on the couch, watching the news. There was nothing else to do. They were still in shock, but they felt something different. It was an odd, eerie feeling--this loneliness. They were safe, all the members of the Six were gone...and yet...they still felt like something was wrong. That something was that Peter was still not back.


	28. At Last

It was nearly midnight.

That made it more than six hours. Six hours, and Peter Parker wasn't back home and safe yet. Was he dead, lying in an alleyway somewhere? Jillian chose not to think about it. The two girls sat on the couch with coffee and watched Comedy Central, trying to occupy their time with more than just worrying an waiting. They laughed at the jokes and tried to focus, but every time someone on the TV said something funny they were reminded of Spider-Man's witty comments and their faces fell, back to worrying.

Jillian looked down at her coffee. How many cups had she had? She had lost count at four. Mary Jane's mug was bigger, and she had gotten up for some extra caffeine many more times that Jillian had. Well, she couldn't blame themselves for being such a wreck. Spider-Man was in a dangerous, deadly career field. If they didn't notice every time he wasn't around, then they weren't doing their part. Knowing Spider-Man's secret identity wasn't just a cool fact you kept in your head--it was a responsibility to cover for him, to protect him, to lie for him, to worry for him.

And as Jillian finished biting her last nail, her pinkie on her left hand, she just couldn't take it anymore. "Where the hell is he?" Jillian said, startling Mary Jane who had been used to the quiet.

"He'll be back."

"He's sure as hell taking his sweet time!"

"He'll be back," Mary Jane repeated.

"Screw this! I'm getting more coffee." Jillian took the Garfield mug that Mary Jane had given her and went over to the coffee pot. She poured the last bit into her cup and asked: "Hey, MJ, should I brew us up another batch?"

Mary Jane didn't turn her head. "What do you think?"

Jillian started another pot of coffee.

Then there was a thump. It was a loud thump, coming from upstairs. Way upstairs. The attic upstairs.

Mary Jane stood up suddenly, knocking over her empty cup. Jillian smiled. He was back.

Peter Parker walked down the stairs into the dark halls. Mary Jane ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. Jillian hugged him too, and then she turned on the lights.

"Holy _shit."_ Jillian gasped, her rules against curse words not in mind.

He was a mess. He had a black eye, cuts all over his face, his hair matted, his clothes ripped, his arm broken--_oh boy_, Jillian thought, analyzing her injured friend.

Peter limped his way over to the couch, laid down with his head on Mary Jane's lap. He was so tired, they could tell. He had one hell of a day. They both knew not to question Peter, and that he'd speak when he was ready. But Peter knew their curiosity and told them everything.

"Sorry I took so long."

"Where were you?"

"Me and Doc Ock went all out. I'm actually surprised I'm not dead. He beat me real bad and I just passed out from all the pain. I woke up about an hour ago, and I made my way back here. What happened to him?"

Jillian blushed while Mary Jane told him. Peter sat up, his eyes wide. "You shot Doctor Octopus. And he fell down."

"That's it in a nutshell." Jillian replied.

"Jeez. You're Wonder Woman." he shook his head in disbelief.

"Why did he leave you alive?" Mary Jane asked, generally curious.

"He wanted me to live with the fact that he got to you and Jillian before I could save you. Sick bastard." he cursed them.

"But it's over. The Six are gone, and we're safe now."

He pointed at Jillian's necklace. "Keep that on. Both of you." He then pointed at the spider-tracer in Mary Jane's necklace. They both nodded. And, after watching reruns of RENO:911! everyone fell asleep as they sat, recovering from the day's craziness that had wrecked havoc on their lives.


	29. The End

Jillian was the first to wake up that morning. She turned on the television, keeping it low so as not to wake her two friends, and watched as the world seemed to celebrate Spider-Man's victory over the Sinister Six Plus One. They replayed footage that had aired the day before. Jillian's name was mentioned once or twice, along with pictures of an arrested Chameleon, a subdued Electro, and an unconscious Doc Ock.

Jillian's cell phone started ringing, and she answering it quickly so that it would not wake anyone. She checked the caller ID, and was happy to see that it was her mother's cell phone that was on the other end. Jillian flipped it open and answered.

"Oh, Jillian! I've seen the news! What have you been doing?"

"It's a really long a complicated story, Ma. How've you been?"

"Scared out of our minds! Not going out in public, screening all phone calls, looking out for those Six people!" Her mother howled.

"Ma, it's all over. It's safe now. You should come back to the city soon...and get my room ready. See, my apartment sorta-kinda burned to the ground."

"What?! Where are you now?"

"With two of my friends, but they need their space." and then Jilian said: "I'm really glad you're okay, Ma."

"I'm glad you're okay, too, sweetie. I love you. See you soon."

"Love you too Ma." Jillian said before she closed her phone and ended the conversation. She turned around then, and saw that Mary Jane and Peter were up.

"I'll make some coffee." Mary Jane said as she moved from the couch, and Jillian sat where she had been. She looked at Peter.

"Thanks, Pete. For everything."

"You're welcome. And thank you."

"You're welcome." she smiled. Jillian moved a little closer to Peter, then said: "Hey, Pete? I have...sort of a problem I think you can help me with."

"What kind of problem?"

"You see, Spider-Man and I were involved in this whole Sinister Six plot."

He smiled. "Were you now?"

"And, you see, I'm a journalist."

"Are you? I had no idea!" Peter laughed.

"Yeah. And, I was wondering, if you do ever see Spider-Man, if you could ask him for a quick little interview?"

"I think Spider-Man can do that. Where should he meet you?"

"Tell him I'm moving in with my parents, since my apartment burned down."

Peter stopped smiling then. He had forgotten about that. He cleared his throat. "Don't worry. I'm fine with it. Don't--oh, no you don't! Don't blame yourself for that, Peter!"

"But if I was a little faster, a step ahead, then I could've--"

"No! No, Peter. Jeez! Look, we won! The Six are in jail, we're all safe, the world isn't a mess. You did it, Peter!" Jillian said, trying to change the topic. "And for the first time...despite everything that went on...it feels...normal."

Peter smiled. "Is it true Nick Fury offered you a job?"

"Well, sorta kinda."

"He didn't offer me one! What the heck's up with that?"

"I shot Doc Ock with a plasma blaster, that's what's up with that." Jillian smiled as Mary Jane handed her a fresh cup of coffee. Peter shook his head at that. "I still can't believe you did that. You're crazy."

"Coming from a guy who dresses up in spandex and fights megalomaniacs for a living." Jillian added.

"Point taken."

Jillian smiled and sipped her coffee. Everything did feel normal now. Just as it should be.

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone who kept up with this story and for all your reviews. This was a hard one to end, and I'm sad that it had to. I really enjoyed writing this one. Thanks again, I luv ya all!**_


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